


A Wrench In The Works

by 21stcenturyjournal



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Mechanic Jughead, Romance, writer jughead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2018-12-05 09:52:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 41,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11575638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/21stcenturyjournal/pseuds/21stcenturyjournal
Summary: Jughead Jones never planned on having his sleep ruined by some elite blonde girl. He didn't plan on falling for her either.Betty Cooper never planned on rebelling against her parents. She had a life sketched out for her, one of luxury, high society and no personal choices.Sometimes, when fate makes your decisions for you, you've just got to go with the flow and hope you don't crash and burn.





	1. Chapter 1

Jughead had signed up for a night of good sleep. When Archie, his brother for all intents and purposes, had hopefully begged Jughead (yet again), to take the night shift at the garage so that Archie could spend some 'quality romantic time' with his latest fling, Valerie, in the tiny apartment above the garage, he'd agreed. Not out of the goodness of his heart, no. Jughead didn't expect Archie's night to contain romance of any quality. He'd done it to escape the shrieks which were no doubt emanating from Archie's bedroom at that very moment. Nobody ever came to the garage in the middle of the night and the blinking ' Andrews Garage - Day and Night Service' legend was mostly for show. Sleeping downstairs meant sleeping well when Archie had a girl.

Which was exactly why Jughead Jones was irritated as he dragged himself off his threadbare mattress amongst the cars and stumbled over to the garage door to confront whatever idiot had decided to pound on it at 2:30 in the morning. It had been pouring all night, rain lashing against the rickety door and he'd only just managed to drown the noise out and fall asleep when the banging started.

_Some people had no decency._

He paused by the entrance and picked up a crowbar, considering it. The person outside might well be some drunken thug and it wouldn't hurt to be armed, would it?

The banging started again and Jughead swore under his breath, striding over to the sliding door, heaving it open irritably and hefting the crowbar.

The golden girl outside shrieked and leapt backwards before lifting her purse as if she planned on hitting him with it.

He lowered his weapon and regarded her. She was literally golden, all blonde hair, pale skin and short, shimmering golden party dress. All of which were now soaked through. Right. The rain.

His eyes snapped up to her face and he cleared his throat before raising his voice to be audible over the rain.

"What do you want?!"

She stared at him incredulously.

"Day and night service!" She yelled back.

The spray from the rain was getting into his face now and he wanted to  _sleep,_ dammit.

"What?!" He hollered back.

She rolled her eyes and pointed at the flickering sign overhead. He still didn't see her point."

It's a garage! Not a shelter! You don't have a-"

She cut him off impatiently, pointing down an alley behind her. "Of course I have a car! It broke down back there!"

Well that changed things. "Can't fix it in the rain."

She pushed her wet hair off her face and yelled right back at him. "So push it in here!"

He snorted. Like hell he was going to do the bidding of some rich snob.

"You need to help me!" He shouted and she nodded, surprising him.

"Come on then!" She turned abruptly and took off into the rain, disappearing almost instantly in the deluge. He cursed his lack of a handy umbrella and ran after her.

_____

Twenty minutes and a whole lot of yelled instructions in the rain later, he found himself back in his garage, soaked to the bone, with an equally drenched girl and her expensive, useless car.

She'd proven to be surprisingly okay with pushing a car through the rain with a mechanic and hadn't even complained when her stilleto got stuck in a grate and the heel snapped right off. He couldn't help but look at her with a certain amount of grudging respect now.

 _Not that she was a pain to look at_ , he mused, glancing at her surreptitiously as she used her handkerchief to wring her hair dry.

She had fair, flawless skin, green eyes and was built petite but apparently strong. Her golden dress was clearly party wear and was strapless and short, accentuating soft curves underneath. Her legs seemed impossibly long, even now that she was barefoot, the offending heels lying on the floor.

He averted his gaze from her and shook himself mentally. He slipped on a dry t-shirt, then cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So miss-"

"Betty" She interrupted, turning to face him.

"Sorry?" He asked.

"Betty Cooper. It's my name." She added with a slight smile.

It suited her. "Jughead Jones," he said, bracing himself for the inevitable incredulity.

_(What? Are you sure? What's your real name? )_

_Yes, he was bloody sure and no way in hell would he ever willingly tell anyone his real name._

Betty Cooper merely raised an eyebrow but refrained from commenting. Against his will, his respect for her rose another notch.

He cleared his throat again and strode over to her car, propping the hood open. Water had seeped into the bonnet somehow, disconnecting a few wires. He leant further in to inspect the machinery.

"So miss-?" Prompted a soft voice right next to his ear and he leapt up, bashing his head against the metal.

"Fuck!" He hissed and she flushed scarlet as if she wasn't used to profanities at all.

"Um..sorry." She said with a nervous laugh. "How long will this take to fix?" She asked, inclining her head towards the car gracefully.

He rubbed his throbbing skull through his beanie, assessing the situation. "Well you're probably going to be here until dawn. I have to drain the water out and you'll need to get some parts replaced later. I can patch her up."

She sighed. "Dawn, huh?" She glanced around the garage and asked, " Do you have a place for me to sit?"

"Uh, yeah" He led her over to his rumpled bed and then, suddenly noticing that she was still dripping, yanked the blanket off and handed it to her.

She took it, eyeing him curiously. At his raised eyebrows, she explained, "You're nicer when you're not aiming a crowbar at my face."

He rubbed his neck awkwardly and explained. "Yeah that um…I wasn't expecting customers. Thugs maybe."

She laughed softly, a lilting sound that gave him goosebumps.

_Get a grip, Jughead._

"Don't worry, I'm the only one you're stuck with until dawn. No goons." She levelled her stare at him and added, "But this time, I'll keep the crowbar handy."

_____

Fifteen minutes in, she got bored and began to wander, stopping to observe certain cars and the pictures on the walls. Some of them were automobile posters but others were pictures of Fred, Archie and him or just of him and Archie that Papa Andrews insisted on displaying in the workspace. Not that any customer ever took an interest in them.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she strolled, still swaddled in his blanket that covered her from shoulders to mid thigh. She was more distracting than she should have been.

"Jughead?" She called over her shoulder. He looked up instantly, glad to have an excuse to look at her. She was standing in front of yet another framed picture of himself, Archie and Fred at the park.

"You don't look anything like the rest of your family, do you?" She asked, more to herself than to him. "Are you cousins?"

He shook his head uncomfortably, gaze now firmly fixed on the car.

"The redhead is Archie. He's pretty much my brother from another set of parents."

She probably sensed a buried story in his refusal to mention his own bioilogical kin and walked over to him instead, resting her hip against the side of her own car. She watched him work in silence for a while and oddly enough, he found it peaceful instead of weird.

He'd glance up periodically and catch her observing him or taking in the garage some more. At length, he asked her where she'd been heading home from and she mentioned a club uptown that he'd heard of in the passing, in the context of it being a posh joint. He didn't have time to dwell on it, however, because she launched into anecdotes of the drunken deeds of her friends and Jughead found himself chuckling even as he worked.

She talked about a Veronica and her girlfriend Cheryl and how the former had mistaken some tycoon for a valet. She'd enact random scenes, break into dialogue and definitely had a way with words that made him able to visualise the scenes.

It was so different from his usual interactions with Archie, which contained a lot of 'Bro she said…I did…'. The unimaginative factual narrative of the male mind.

At one point, she asked if he was okay with her chatting while he worked, _(yes)_ if she was distracting him and he thought _You definitely are, Betty Cooper but please don't stop._

"So," She said after winding up another story involving Veronica and her gay friend, Kevin, "How long have you been reparing cars?"

"What? No more drunken stories?" He asked easily, buying himself time.

She shrugged, suddenly looking more self conscious than she had a moment ago. "I figured I've talked enough for a two people interaction." She smiled abruptly, brightly and Jughead just had enough time to think _fake smile_ to himself before she was asking about his experience with cars again.

He gave her brief answers, hoping he didn't come across as rude.

 

 

_He'd been hanging around the garage since he was a kid._

_He and Archie lived overhead and Archie's dad, Fred, lived in a shoebox apartment less than a block away._

_Yes, he enjoyed his job._

_They'd had their angriest customer after Archie's dog, Vegas, had taken a leak in the backseat of the man's Mercedes. (She wrinkled her nose and laughed at that.)_

He didn't really know what he was doing. Telling a pretty girl about the time he and Archie had gotten stuck underneath a car and had had to lay there for two hours until Fred came to their rescue wasn't exactly his area of expertise. Heck, neither talking nor girls, pretty or otherwise, were something he was used to.

But she was smiling and nodding at the right times so he decided that maybe, possibly, Betty Cooper wouldn't be one of his failed social interactions.

When he finally finished his work on her car, sometime around five in the morning, she was sitting cross legged on the hood of a jeep, leaning back against the windshield, blanket covering her lap.

"Well," He said, tapping the closed hood lightly. "All better."

_There wasn't something more wrong with her car, was there? If there was, he could ask her to sit back down while he fixed it._

She slid to the ground and walked over to him, leaving the blanket behind.

"I should get it repaired properly within the next few days right?" She asked, stopping next to him.

"Yeah. No long trips advisable until then."

She bit her lip with a small frown before looking up at him again. "I can always bring it back here, can't I?"

"Oh yeah definitely! That'd be great!"

He almost bit his own lip in an effort to get himself to _stop talking_ but she smiled anyway and touched his arm lightly.

"Thanks Jughead."

She rounded the car to the driver's door and slid in. He shut it for her, getting another soft smile in return.

She started the car and the engine roared to life. "Well.." she trailed off, tapping her fingernails against the wheel.

"Well..?" He prompted, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

She smiled up at him one last time. "Well it was nice meeting you, Jughead Jones."

He didn't know if she'd bring the car back, if he'd see her again, but he cracked a smile anyway. "You too, Betty Cooper."

She drove off and he raised a hand in farewell before putting it down almost immediately, feeling silly.

The car rounded the corner and he sighed, turning back and heading for bed.

 _"She was nice,"_ he thought. _Different. She-_

_Holy shit._

He froze.

She hadn't paid.

He spun around and raced out onto the road, as if she'd drive back for it. His hands fisted themselves in his hair, mind racing.

_Fred was going to hand him his ass for this, stupid, stupid-_

He strode back indoors, berating himself mentally.

_What had he been so distracted by, anyway? She'd been normal, nice_

And he froze again because lying on his bed was Betty's golden purse.


	2. Chapter 2

When Jughead awoke the next morning, it was to the sound of Archie hammering away, metal on metal.

He blinked bearily and then it all came back to him. The previous night, Betty Cooper and the purse that contained no phone or cash but lipstick, a credit card and a ticket to some dance show.

The hammering stopped and Archie's upside down face appeared above his own.

"Get up, Jug. It's nine. We let you sleep in because it looked like you were busy last night."

Jughead sat up slowly and Archie promptly plopped down in the vacated space. "How'd you figure that?" Jughead asked, warily.

"Water on the floor. Puddles all over that I mopped up. Anyway, how much did they pay?"

Jughead snapped awake instantly just as Fred came into view and stopped in front of them.

"Uh right about that-" began Jughead.

"Must have been a long job for you to still be so tired," Fred observed, casually.

"She um-" Jughead cleared his throat and blurted out. "She didn't pay."

Fred's jaw dropped at the same time as Archie chortled. "Must have been a hell of a she for you to have done it for free."

Fred shot Archie a look and squatted down in front of Jughead. "What do you mean, she didn't pay?"

"I mean she forgot; we both did-" Archie guffawed and Jughead scrambled for his pillow, underneath which he'd stashed her purse, realising how that sounded.

"But I have her purse." He held it up and Archie stopped laughing to exclaim, "You  _stole_  her purse afterwards?!"

Jughead resisted the urge to whack Archie upside the head with said purse and focused on Fred's quizzical face. He explained the events of the previous night, ending with finding her purse and later, heels, in the garage. He then showed them the contents of the purse.

Fred took the ticket from him, a still-not-entirely-convinced Archie leaning over his shoulder.

"It says here that it's an entrance pass for Elizabeth Cooper...9 pm…Ballet Show…Globe Theatre."

"Must be her full name," said Jughead.

"Well, kid," said Fred, suddenly businesslike, handing the pass back. "You get in backstage using this tonight, get your due and leave, got it?"

Jughead's stomach squirmed and he thought  _breakfast_  as Fred stood and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Freshen up and get to work!" He called, disappearing behind a Prius. Archie left too, still chucking and Jughead got up to eat the breakfast he was certain would make his stomach settle.

* * *

8pm saw Jughead mounting the steps of the theatre, sticking out in a sea of fancy suits and dresses in his jeans and tshirt, Betty's purse under his arm. He hoped to catch Betty before the show, conduct the transaction and maybe get a glimpse of her in costume  _because, you know, he'd never been to one of these things and it was important to know. It was educational._

He located the backstage entrance and was about to slip through it when a security guard emerged and bumped into him.

The guy looked him up and down and said, "This entrance is for performers. Sound techs are round the back."

"No that's fine," said Jughead, fishing around in the purse and coming up with Betty's pass. "I'm here to see Elizabeth Cooper."

The man's eyes trailed from the bright feminine purse to the pass. "This permits Elizabeth Cooper."

"Yeah I know. I need to see her."

The man smirked and slapped the slip against Jughead's chest. "Not happening. You ain't no Elizabeth Cooper, no matter how much you try to dress like her." He nodded to the purse and Jughead felt himself flush.

"Look she left it at our-my place and-"

The man cut him off with a raised hand. "Look I'm sure she did, kid. She's a lovely girl, wishes me good evening. She isn't going to be meeting the likes of you. Now get out."

Jughead swallowed hard at the sharp lump of humiliation in his throat and tried again. "It's really important that I- "

"Sam!" hollered the guard behind him, clearly pissed now. A huge burly, bouncer-like guard came out and shoved Jughead back as the first guard called out, "Get rid of him! And tell the guys round back about him too!" Sam grabbed Jughead by the arm and steered him away.

"Oh for fuck's sake-" muttered Jughead, shaking  _Sam's_  arm off him and stalking off. He couldn't return to Fred empty handed though. He'd have to find another way in.

He looked up to see that his feet had inexplicably led him straight to the garage which read 'VIP Parking' above it. VIP Parking meant that he probably wouldn't have to worry about the drivers, more accurately  _chauffeurs_ , since they'd have some sort of waiting area of their own. He walked past the rows of cars cautiously, scanning the area for an entrance to the theatre itself. If only he could somehow-

He pulled up short. There, at the end of the row, gleamed the car he'd fixed just last night.

"Yess!" He exclaimed softly, running up to it. It was her car, blessedly chauffeur-less and with the windows down.  _Okay, acquaintance or not, he was going to have a serious conversation with her about safety when they met._

The sound of an approaching car broke the silence unexpectedly and Jughead swore, looking around frantically for a place to hide. On a whim, he flung himself through the open rear window of Betty's car, landing hard on the plush seat just as the other vehicle roared past.

He lay in the dark for a few frozen minutes, hoping nobody had noticed his panicked-jackrabbit leap. He heard the car park, it's door slammed and footsteps faded away.

Jughead released the tension in his body and let out a long slow breath.

_The things he was doing to get his due._

He checked his watch. It read 8:20 pm.  _Well_  , he thought.  _If he was going to stay put until the show ended, it was going to be a long wait._

He sent Archie a text about the situation and then put his phone on silent. It wouldn't do to have it ring now.

_Might as well get comfortable._

He stretched out on the backseat as best as he could, using Betty's purse as a pillow.

" _This is so comfy,"_  he thought lazily.

_Especially to a guy running on four hours of sleep. He could just-_

* * *

When Jughead awoke, it was to pitch darkness. He blinked slowly and stretched. He'd slept well and for long, he could tell. He felt well rested. He was cozy too, covered in some soft, smooth material. The surface he was lying on felt strange though. It wasn't his bed-

Jughead bolted upright, heart pounding. He'd fallen asleep in the back of Betty's car.

_Shit._

_Where was he? Had she driven him home? Her home?_

He scrambled around for his phone and clicked it. The luminous display read 01:30 am and he had multiple missed calls and texts from Archie and Fred.

He swung his legs off the seat, eyes adjusting to the darkness. He'd been using a silk robe and some frilly things as his blanket.

_So had she dumped them on him through the window after her show, not noticing him? It had been dark..he had to get out._

He shoved Betty's purse up his forearm, wriggled out through the (still open) window and leant against the car, making out vague outlines of other vehicles around him. The metal sheet covering the entrance was sealed but there was a shut window at the back, through which moonlight was illuminating a patch on the floor. That would be easy enough to get out through.

He ran over to it noiselessly and unfastened it. It was higher than he could jump so he'd need a stool. He spotted a plastic one and a pail and dragged them both over, wincing at the light scraping sound they made. He stacked them, pail over stool and clambered up, sticking his torso out, the cool night breeze on his face.

He could make out a white mansion a few yards away. Everything around pretty much faded into the darkness. The garage was on a well maintained lawn, with manicured bushes growing right beneath the window.

_Convenient._

He'd take quite a tumble but it could be managed. He pushed off the pail hard, tucked his head in and rolled, landing somewhat painfully on the solid earth.

He felt a flash of exultation for a nanosecond before the pail and stool inside fell, the former landing with an almighty crash.

_Fuck._

And then, like he was trapped in a poor mystery novel, a light snapped on somewhere further up the lawn and a torch flashed in his direction.

Jughead ran. He couldn't possibly let himself get caught by the security here; he'd never be able to explain himself. His only hope was to get into the house and hide until he could leave.

He circled the building, looking for an open door or window… _bingo_.

There was one open on the first floor. He climbed the pipe next to it, thanking his stars for the gymnastics classes he took back in school. He leapt lightly into the room and paused, listening. He couldn't hear anyone coming over to this side of the house so he was okay. Probably.

He inched forward in the darkness, testing. He couldn't feel any furniture so far so-

His legs hit something and he stumbled, falling onto something soft and lumpy and  _moving_  and before he could make sense of it, a shriek rent the air, he felt a hard punch on his jaw and a light flicked on.

Clutching his face, eyes watering, Jughead realised he was staring into the frightened, shocked face of Betty Cooper.

* * *

 _"Betty"_  he sighed, partly in relief and partly to keep her from yelling again.

"Who-" she started before comprehension dawned.  _"Jughead"_  she breathed.

He tried for a reassuring grin but her next words wiped them right off his face. "What the hell??!" She hissed. She yanked her covers up to her chin and he slid off the bed roughly.

He explained, concisely and placatingly and when he held out her purse, she looked at it dubiously before accepting it.

"So let me get this straight," she began, looking less inclined to yell for help now but no less pissed. "You snuck into my car, fell asleep in the backseat, wound up in my garage, escaped and found your way into my bedroom, all to return my purse and collect your money."

He gingerly took a seat at the edge of her bed. "It sounds more insane put that way but…yes. And well…all the windows were unfastened."

She fixed him with an unimpressed stare.

"Okay, yes it's crazy however you say it. I'm sorry. But it's all true. And I'd just like to get the money and leave."

She relaxed imperceptibly but shook her head.

" I don't exactly have that kind of cash on me right now. And I can only sneak you out when the gates open, which isn't until morning."

"What no walls that I can climb over?" He asked incredulously.

"Not unless you want to break your neck, no."

"So I'm stuck here until morning."

She leaned back against the headrest and surveyed him. "Yeah well," she said, "welcome to my world."

He chuckled softly, the irony not lost on him and after a second, she joined in. It broke the ice pretty effectively.

"This is insane," she said, still laughing softly. "How did you find my bedroom anyway?"

" I have no idea!" He chucked, running a hand through his hair. Her eyes followed the movement. "Got lucky I guess."

"Quite a coincidence."

"More like divine providence."

"Fate."

"Nuance."

She sighed again and then, seeming to accept the situation, sat up against her backrest properly and patted the empty spot next to her.

"If you're here until morning, might as well get comfortable. Besides, if you had me all alone in your garage…late at night…for hours…with zero phone battery and you didn't try anything, stands to reason that you won't be dumb enough to try anything now."

He raised his hands in surrender. "Not trying a thing. Even if you didn't have a mean right hook."

He slid into the offered spot next to her.

"That one you deserved." She said softly, eyes apologetic and he nodded along.

They sat in momentary silence, until he broke it. "How was your show?"

"Great," she turned to him, looking like she was reining in her excitement.

"Have you ever watched ballet? On television or something?"

He shook his head and she asked, "Would you like to know more about it?"

He really took her in then, face partially illuminated in the light from her lamp, eyes shining with suppressed excitement. He remembered how she'd caught herself at the garage when she'd felt like she was talking too much about herself.

So he kicked his shoes off, twisted to face her and said, "Fire away, Cooper."

She spoke animatedly, the way she had before. She told him about the theme of her show, about her role, about emoting through dance.

He'd never watched any form of dance, at least not with genuine interest but the passion with which she spoke was infectious. He could picture her on stage, twirling, golden hair catching the spotlights.

"Jug?" She asked, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Sorry what?"

"I asked what you do as a hobby."

He didn't really tell people even though he wasn't ashamed of it. "Nothing much, really."

"Oh come on," she scoffed, turning to face him fully. "Alright, I'll take a guess."

None of Archie's girls ever guessed right. They thought his broody silence meant musician which  _yeah, right_. Then again, while he'd always been polite to them, he'd never had an actual conversation with any of them.

They weren't like Betty.

The girl in question was scrutinising him intently, eyes bright but narrowed.

"Right so you have a bit of a film noir vibe to you, judging by the whole breaking and entering."

"Hey!" He protested, half laughing and she laid a soft hand on his arm to shush him. He shut up instantly.

"You're into crime, detective kind of movies but that's not all. It's not the main thing about you."

"Well what is?" He asked, softly.

_Guess right, Betty Cooper._

"You're an observer." She replied immediately. "A thinker. You can reason your way out of situations and the witty lines, the sardonic humour…you write, don't you? On the side."

She locked eyes with him, the hand on his arm tightening with excited certainty and he let out a shaky exhale.

"Yes, I do." She smiled in triumph and he found himself blurting out, "I wish I'd seen your show."

She shrugged nonchalantly. "You could come sometime. My friends do. I could get you a ticket."

"Wait- really?" He'd expected her to ask why, not actually agree.

"We haven't known each other long but conversation flows, doesn't it?"

"Honestly more than it has with any other girl." He replied.

"So I consider you a friend." She said simply.

"Friend," he affirmed softly and she squeezed his forearm lightly again. They exchanged a smile and he thought  _okay fine, Jughead, she's beautiful but you don't have to feel all tingly about it._

She glanced at her closed bedroom door briefly. He asked,"Oh hey, nobody heard your scream right? You won't be in any trouble tomorrow, will you?"

She made a face at the door before responding. "My parents basically sleep in a different wing of the house. They wouldn't have heard a thing. And my sister's five months pregnant so she sleeps like the dead now."

He noted her expression but didn't comment on it. "Your sister's married?" He asked instead.

She shook her head and chuckled. "She was never so much as engaged actually. It's quite the scandal."

_He wouldn't pry, she'd share if she wanted to._

"You excited to be an aunt?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. She's having twins. Them running around the house will drive my mother  _crazy_." She said with such apparent relish that he laughed.

"I watch crime films too, incidentally," She said suddenly.

_This girl was full of surprises._

"Really? Which is your favourite?"

She told him and he debated the point with her. They went over his favourites, overused plot devices and somewhere in the midst of her analysing a scene from  _Rear Window_ , he allowed himself to think that  _Betty was, indeed, a perfect blend of beauty and brains._

And also, given that he'd reached that conclusion, he was screwed.

* * *

It was six in the morning when he and Betty snuck downstairs through the silent house, her wrapped in a silk robe. She let them out through the back door and out of the compound through a side gate that their ridiculously early bird of a gardener used.

His last view, when he glanced back from the road, was of her standing barefoot on the grass, messy haired and sleepy but offering him a small wave nevertheless.

He waved back and left, her last words still running through his mind.

_"I'll come by later to pay and clarify with Fred. Get home safe, Juggie."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the coincidences are tremendous. I'm aware. Him finding her room, her car window being conveniently rolled down, the works. But then, which fictional love story has ever been 100% realistic? 
> 
> Too long? Opinions? Let me know!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Jughead was a few seconds away from either locking Archie in the supply closet or, worst case scenario, asking Valerie to 'distract' him and take him upstairs. The latter idea was cringeworthy in the extreme to Jughead but he was desperate. He had work to do, nerves to calm (which he told himself had absolutely  _nothing_  to do with Betty's imminent visit) and most importantly, a thoroughly exasperated Fred to placate.

When Jughead had arrived home a couple of hours ago and told his tale, Fred's eyebrows had disappeared into his receding hairline and Archie hadn't shut up since. Jughead had added that Betty would drop by to pay and well, verify his story, at which point Fred had rubbed his hands over his face and said wryly, "When you want to meet someone, Jug, you get their phone number and give them a call. You don't take the movies literally."

Not that he could blame Fred, who was the one adult who'd been a constant in his life. FP had always been an alcoholic. His biological mother, Gladys Jones, had tried to raise two children and pay the bills but when Jughead was 10, she'd thrown in the towel. She'd given up on FP and on Jughead himself.

She'd tucked him into bed that last night. Him and his sister, Jellybean. He remembered because he'd been excited about it; she was usually too tired to do much more than fix them a meal and wave them to their beds. He'd slept well that night.

He'd wandered out of his bedroom later than usual the next morning to find his father sprawled out on the couch in a drunken stupor. Gladys and JB were gone.

He remembered running all the way from the trailer park to the Andrews' apartment when he couldn't wake FP up. Mary Andrews had comforted him when he'd started crying, once he finally understood. Archie had hovered around, chubby face scrunched in confusion. Fred had sat Jughead down and told him that the Andrews were family, that he could always,  _always_  , count on them.

A few years later, Mary and Fred had separated but at least Archie had known why, at least he'd gotten a goodbye before she moved to Chicago. They still spoke over the phone.

Jughead had moved out of the trailer park and away from his perpetually drunk father when he was 14. He'd moved into the two bedroomed place Fred had bought above the garage for when he had to work late. When they were 17, Archie moved in with him, claiming a need to be independent. Fred, a bachelor for years now, sold the larger, lonlier apartment and bought himself a smaller one.

Jughead was 24 now, having started working at the garage the moment Fred had let him, when he'd turned 16. He was an old hand there now and Fred Andrews had been his go-to adult for over 14 years.

Which was why Jughead was putting extra effort into his work today, hoping that Betty would show up soon. He was also ignoring Archie, which he'd learnt was the best way to get him to shut up but apparently that didn't stop Valerie, who had decided to hang around today.

"So, she pretty?" She asked, sitting cross legged on a workbench while Jughead changed punctured tyres and Archie worked nearby, listening in blatantly.

"She's nice," said Jughead, which was basically the only adjective he'd verbally used to describe Betty so far. He wasn't going to express his actual thoughts given that his writer's brain was churning up phrases like ' _hair like the purest ray of sunlight_ '. He had a rep to maintain.

"Coming from him, that's like an I love you!" called Archie. His best friend, out to ruin his rep.

"I mean based on what Archie told me about her, she sounds amazing," said Valerie again.

Jughead grunted non commitally and shoved himself underneath a car to avoid the ribbing. A second later, Archie stuck his head in through the gap.

"I'm just messing with you, man. This is the first time I've ever had someone to tease you with."

It was true but Jughead could pretend not to be able to reply, given that he was holding a torch between his teeth while he repaired wires.

A car drove in nearby. He heard Valerie's slow whistle and Archie's face disappeared, followed by his amazed "whoa".

Inspite of himself, Jughead slid out partially and was greeted by the upside down view of Betty Cooper emerging from her sleek silver car in a skirt.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight and he rolled out completely, Archie hauling him smoothly to his feet.

She strode towards him, bright smile in place and he grinned back involuntarily. Behind her, the driver's door opened and a tall, dark man about Jughead's age stepped out. He pulled out his cell almost immediately and strolled behind Betty, already absorbed in his phone.

"Juggie, hey! Hard at work, I see?" greeted Betty.  
He smiled back and could sense Archie's virtual jaw-drop. "Hey, yeah. Not much to do today though."

"Oh that's actually really good!" She said. "I mean I'll need to talk to Fred first-" She cut herself off abruptly and extended a hand towards Archie before Jughead could ask what she meant.

"You must be Archie! I'm Betty. I've heard so much," she said and Jughead saw Valerie smirk at him as Archie shook Betty's hand.

Valerie stepped forward and introduced herself with a "I'm Valerie. The girlfriend. Oh Archie's girl, not Jughead's."

Jughead rolled his eyes inwardly as Betty motioned to the man behind her.

"This is Reggie." The guy tore his gaze away from his phone and reached forward to shake hands, looking incredibly bored.

"My boyfriend." said Betty. Jughead's grip on Reggie's hand tightened.

_Her boyfriend._

"Oh..wow" said Valerie. "So how long have you two been together?"

Jughead felt a sudden rush of gratitude towards this girl, a practical stranger, for filling in the awkward silence that fell after Betty uttered the words that made him feel like he'd taken a sledgehammer to the chest.

Betty glanced up at Reggie, who shrugged. "Round about three years now." She said, considering it.

Archue turned to look at Jughead very obviously so he spoke himself.

"Fred's in the office. I'll show you to it." Jughead waved behind him and Betty followed. She disappeared into the room and rather than watching her and Fred talk through the glass, Jughead turned away to wrestle with his own emotions.

_Three years._

_She had a boyfriend and they'd been together for that long and she hadn't even mentioned it? She'd mentioned all her other friends._

_Then again…how much did he really know about her?_

She came out, Fred behind her.

"So," she chirped, spinning to face Jughead. "I have to go check out this venue for an event and it's on the outskirts of town but I absolutely have to do it today but I haven't gotten around to getting my car repaired yet. And you said no long rides. So I asked Mr. Andrews if-"

"Fred, please," said the owner, smiling.

 _"Yeah, Fred, she has that effect on people,"_  thought Jughead.

"I asked Fred if you could accompany us for the day, you know, so you could help out if something went wrong and he's agreed."

Jughead raised his eyebrows at Fred who looked more cheerful than he had in the past two days as he said, "You have the day off. I'll put it under paid leave."

He left and Jughead turned to the work benches at once.

"I'll grab my stuff and be right with you," he called over his shoulder.

"Um..okay," she said uncertainty and walked off.

Jughead forced the tension in his shoulders to leave.  
_"She's the client. You're the employee."_  He told himself sternly, then went to join Betty and Reggie.

* * *

They'd been driving for an hour, thirty minutes out and Jughead had figured that if he had Reggie for a boyfriend, he'd never mention him either.

The guy drove, which was about the only nice thing he did. He responded to Betty's attempts at conversation with single worded replies, kept referring to Jughead as 'mechanic' and looked like he'd rather be just about anywhere else.

Betty on her part seemed unfazed by Reggie's apparent mental absence. She talked over him every single time he used the word 'mechanic' but seemed unbothered otherwise.

She was riding shotgun but she'd spent the entire ride twisted around in her seatbelt loop, conversing with Jughead in the backseat.

He'd tried to keep it brief but polite initially, chanting ' _employee_  ' in his head but the truth was, she'd quickly become one of his favourite people to talk to.

In other words, the only person besides Archie that he actually  _talked_  to.

She'd mentioned that the event was something like a social dinner, where some of the elite families got together for a night of 'well mannered frivolity', as she put it.

He'd made a Harry Potter reference right back with 'babbling bumbling band of babboons', which she'd accepted with good grace and after that, Reggie's presence didn't rankle as much.

They pulled up at a five star hotel soon, a majestic building with a well tended lawn.

Jughead stepped out of the car, thanked the valet and noticed Betty do the same. They began mounting the steps when Reggie called out loudly behind them.

"Oh we don't need a valet. We brought our own driver."

Jughead turned just as Reggie said, "His name's Jug Head." The valet and doormen turned to stare at Jughead who felt a hot dart of humiliation slide down his throat at the realisation of what Reggie was trying to do.

"Actually it's Jone-" he began and was cut off by Betty's unnaturally icy tone.

" _Actually_  , Reggie, he's coming with us." Reggie looked taken aback but before he could respond, Betty slipped indoors with a soft 'cmon Juggie'.

Jughead followed, now firm in the belief that Reggie was a dick.  _And since Betty seemed fully aware of it, why was she dating him again?_

Inside, Betty was 'Miss Cooper', a clearly valued client, Reggie was more stiffly addressed as 'Mister Mantle' and Jughead introduced himself as 'Mr. Jones' to the elderly female concierge, who shifted her carefully neutral face from Reggie to twinkle gently at Jughead.

Betty's task apparently involved ensuring that everything was running smoothly even though the event was a  _dinner_  and it was a month and a half away.

Despite himself, Jughead was drawn into the proceedings. The building was old and had fabulous old-world architecture that made Jughead's writer's mind buzz with adjectives and possible scenes of a murder in an oriental house…

"Jug?" called Betty.

"Yeah?" He asked, going over to her, sidestepping Reggie as he leant casually against a pillar, a foot sticking out as Jughead passed.

"We can't figure out where to put the live band. It's the last kink," she said.

"In that semicircular alcove with the floor to ceiling windows," said Jughead immediately, having already thought about it. "The garden lights will be on behind them, it'll look great."

Betty nodded and the concierge, Rosa, turned to her and said bluntly, "Bring this one next time, Miss Cooper. He pays attention."

"Oh yeah," drawled Reggie from behind them. "He's already found his calling. He fixes cars."

Rosa's mouth fell open slightly. Jughead straightened his spine and nodded at Rosa. "I'm a mechanic, yes."

"Labourer and proud," said Reggie.

Betty inhaled sharply and Rosa's hand closed around her elbow gently.

"Why don't I show you where to sign, Miss Cooper?" She said, steering Betty away gently, who resisted for an instant before letting herself be led away.

Jughead watched her leave, then turned to Reggie.

"If you have something to say to me, Reg-Mr. Mantle, please do."

"Alright," said Reggie. He sized Jughead up, making sure his eyes paused on the worn shoes, the slightly frayed collar of his tshirt.

"You're a mechanic. Know your place."

He pushed himself off the pillar and strode towards the main exit without a backward glance.

* * *

Later that day, when Jughead took a break from the garage after returning and slipped up to his room, he finally allowed himself to sink onto his bed and let the bitterness wash over him.

Betty wasn't elitist, that much he was certain off. He had no idea what she was doing with Reggie.

Reggie was a jackass. That, too, he was certain of.

But the man had made a valid point.

Betty was wealthy, he well- wasn't (not that he was poor, the garage did reasonably well but still). The difference in their social standards was glaringly obvious.

It was a case of two worlds colliding and based on his extensive reading habits, Jughead knew that never ended well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a product of me urging myself to write and zero motivation. Sorry it took so long.
> 
> So...There's significant backstory. Reggie's a dick. Juggie doesn't take bullying lying down and Betty's thoughts on it will be revealed in the next chapter!
> 
> Your comments and kudos seriously mean everything to me. Keep at it!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Betty was, inherently, a nice person. She greeted everyone warmly, knew all of the help at her place by name and made it a point to have a rough idea about all their families and ask after them.

It wasn't, however, her innate niceness that had driven her to be friends with Jughead. They'd met with the guy ready to brain her with a crowbar, for Christ's sake. That would have been reason enough to never be friendly towards him. But he'd turned out to be intelligent, genuine, polite and had a sort of sarcastic frankness to him that she rarely saw in the people in her circles.

Reggie Mantle however, was not nice and never had been but he barely ever uttered two words to people who worked for him so it had never been an issue. He hadn't ever attacked someone the way he had Jughead and given that he'd first been on the phone and then been 'busy' ever since they'd dropped Jughead off, she hadn't been able to talk to him about it.

Still, Jughead deserved some form of an apology and since that definitely wouldn't come from Reggie, she'd have to do.

"The only thing is, how? What am I supposed to do? I can't just barge in on him at work and go 'hey Juggie sorry my boyfriend was being uncharacteristically mean. And yeah, this apology is more than a day overdue but I didn't say it over text because I wanted to talk in person.'" Betty said worriedly, pacing around in her bedroom.

The person she was addressing this too, Veronica Lodge, put down her fashion magazine with a sigh and looked at Betty wryly from her spot on the window seat.

"What  _I_  think is that  _you_  need to stop overthinking this." She said. "You texted Jughead yesterday and asked to meet. He said he was busy about those machine parts or whatever. Not your fault."

"Yeah but-" began Betty again anxiously. "What if I've waited too long to apologise and now he's angry-"

"Betty," said Veronica kindly, "You didn't do anything wrong in the first place.  _You_  aren't the one who owes him an apology. Besides, I'm sure he's mature enough to not take offence to this."

Betty stopped pacing and flopped down on her bed. "You know that's actually true," she said thoughtfully. "You could tell he minded but he handled Reggie's insults with such  _class_.."

She trailed off and Veronica's eyes twinkled at her over the rim of her magazine as Betty finished softly, "He's definitely mature."

"And smart based on what you told me. And funny. You said he was wearing a white tank top with suspenders the other day so I'm guessing…also really hot?" asked Veronica mischievously, leaning forward.

"V!" exclaimed Betty.

"Just saying," said Veronica casually, leaning back against the cushions and lifting the magazine once more. "A classy writer slash mechanic. Sounds very attractive."

"V, I don't see him like that. Plus, I'm in a relationship," replied Betty steadily.

"That's what she said," muttered Veronica under her breath, flipping a page and pretending not to notice as Betty rechecked her reflection in the mirror  _again_ before setting out to meet Jughead.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Betty was on her way to Jughead's in her car. He'd mentioned on the first night that they had an hour long lunch break. Betty was hoping to catch him before it began and had given herself fifteen minutes to convince him to spend that time with her. She had a sort of picnic lunch packed that her cook, Mary, had been thrilled to have the opportunity to prepare and which, as a result, contained enough food to feed four.

So yes, okay, maybe Betty was overdoing it. She was a worrier by nature; she couldn't help it but she found that planning or, as Veronica would put it, overthinking possibilities, did help. They gave her a sense of being able to control the situation.

_But Veronica did probably have a point._

She, Betty, hadn't been the one mocking Jughead.

_Then again, she hadn't done much to stop it either. She could have called Reggie out on it outright. She could have-_

Betty stopped herself mentally. She  _was_ overthinking it, blaming herself. It was something Veronica warned her against on occasion and well, V would know.

Veronica had never been absorbed with what people though of her ever since Betty had met her years ago. Even so, after she'd casually come out as bisexual three years ago by letting herself get papped with Cheryl Blossom, she'd been  _kindly advised_  by people who  _cared_  that she'd do well to consult a therapist because well, ' _a condition like hers was all in the mind anyway.'_

_(And the scandal wasn't helping either.)_

Betty felt herself seethe every time she even thought about it. The way Veronica had been treated, the subtle but evident disregard for her feelings and personal life. Veronica had fallen prey to that thought process initially. She'd actually thought she was to blame for it.  _Sickening_  . She'd spiralled; there's been a brief fling with drugs. Eventually, Betty, Kevin and Cheryl had jointly pulled her out of it and a new Veronica had emerged. One who did what she wanted regardless of what people said and one who never let anyone dictate her life.

She and Cheryl had been together ever since and the strength of their relationship had shut the high society haters down like nothing else could have.

_"Which is why, Betty, you're going to make this the very best picnic lunch of Jughead's life to make up for Reggie's behaviour,"_  she told herself as she pulled into Andrews Garage.

She found Jughead almost instantly, dressed in a white vest and faded blue jeans, bending over a car engine. He looked up as she approached, having parked her car at the entrance.

"Betty," he said, straightening with a surprised expression. His eyes flicked to the giant picnic basket in her hands and then up to her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey," she smiled nervously and held up the basket. "This is a peace offering. I um…wanted to apologise."

He leaned his hip against the car, frowning slightly. "Apologise? What for?"

"Reggie," she said, watching his expression freeze before he shrugged it off. "His behaviour was way out of line. He's not generally like that but-"

"Betty." He cut her off, shaking his head. "You don't owe me an apology. He…wasn't the  _nicest_  but-"

She scoffed lightly and he seemed to loosen up. "-but I'm a big boy. I can deal with a little rudeness."

He stepped closer. "But I don't want  _you_  to feel responsible for it. You've been nothing but nice to me since we met."

She nodded, feeling inexplicably lighter all of a sudden. "Well," she began, "In the interest of being nice, how about a picnic lunch? You have a break soon right?"

He took a second to respond but quirked a smile when he finally did. "I never say no to food, Betts. Just give me ten minutes to finish up?"

She smiled. "Sure."

* * *

Jughead couldn't believe it. Betty was there with a basket of food like it was completely normal.

_Not that he minded._

What did bother him was that she felt responsible for Reggie.

After she agreed to wait, she asked about Archie. Once Jughead said he was out for work, she made a beeline for the office  _'to say hi to Fred'_.

Presently, she and Fred strolled out while Jughead watched them with mild disbelief out of the corner of his eye while he cleaned up. Fred was nice, but never particularly warm towards Archie's ladies.

Betty offered a sandwich from the basket to Fred, who took a bite, caught Jughead's gaze and saluted him with said sandwich. Betty glanced over too and Jughead looked away sharply, feeling himself flush.

He rushed upstairs, washed the grease off and then raced into Archie's room to spray on some deodorant, feeling incredibly foolish but not willing to risk exposing Betty to his machine-oil smell. He shrugged on a jacket and hurried downstairs.

Betty, immersed in conversation with Fred, looked up just in time to see Jughead make his descent. He'd thrown on a denim jacket and he looked…good.

_Dedicated worker meets suave writer._

For a moment, her mind flashed back to almost every Disney princess movie ever, with the girl making her entrance from atop the staircase while the guy stood at the bottom, momentarily transfixed.

Except, well, the staircase was narrow instead of grand, the roles were reversed and Jughead was rushing rather than making a graceful appearance.

She almost giggled at the thought but then he was standing in front of her, asking, "Ready to go?" and she was mildly nervous all over again.

He took the basket from her and turned to her car. She said goodbye to Fred, who replied genially with, "Don't be a stranger, Betty."

She drove them to their destination, a park that she and her sister had frequented as kids. Jughead was familiar with the area and she was mostly grateful for the the relative privacy that the outdoors offered in the middle of the afternoon.

"I have a question," said Jughead as he hefted both the basket and the blanket, waving off her offer to help. "Is this how you usually make your apologies?"

She shrugged, leading them over to a spot under a tree. "Figured I'd give this method a try, I guess."

He glanced up from spreading the blanket to give her a look.

"I've never done this," she said honestly. "But I felt it was warranted."

He sat down and patted the spot next to him. She lowered herself gingerly onto the watermelon patterned sheet and he shifted to face her fully.

"Look, Betty.." He leaned forward slightly. "I really don't want you to take the blame for anything you aren't responsible for, be it with me or anyone else."

She exhaled. "I know." She looked down, wondering if he was going to read too much into what she said next.

"I can't help it sometimes," she said, meeting his gaze.

Something flickered across his expression, then he said in a more cheerful voice, "How about we treat this as a regular hangout? Two friends chilling in the park with a huge basket of food."

She relaxed and nodded and he lifted the lid of the basket, peering into it. "How many people were you planning on feeding anyway?!"

"My cook got really excited when I mentioned it!" said Betty, helping him lay out the spread. "She's never been asked to fix this kind of a meal before. I think she experimented on some of the sandwiches, by the way."

Jughead took a large bite and leaned back against the tree with a blissful moan. "Tell your cook that she can experiment on me any time she wants."

Betty burst out laughing, almost choking on her own food. Jughead bolted upright and thumped her on the back, then scratched the nape of his neck awkwardly once he'd made sure she was okay.

"On second thought, that sounded wildly inappropriate."

* * *

After lunch, during which Jughead scarfed down three people's worth of food  _(I'm a growing boy! But you're not eating less on my account or anything right?)_ , Betty suggested that they go rowing on the lake further into the park.

Jughead pronounced his stomach settled enough to be okay on a boat, so they packed up, dumped everything in the car and set off.

The oarsmen seemed delighted to get a fare given the odd hour and after Jughead paid,  _(You provided the food, I'll provide the entertainment.)_ , their oarsman brought out a bright red boat with the name  _'Vitamin Sea'_  stencilled on the prow.

Jughead stepped in first and turned to hold out his hand towards her. Betty took it gratefully, her mind flashing back to all those times Reggie hadn't ever bothered to offer her help, regardless of whether or not she needed it, when they'd gone sailing on the Seine, the Thames, the family cruise up to Alaska.

"Thank you," she told Jughead sincerely when he let go, warm fingers leaving hers.

"Of course," he replied simply. She looked up at him, standing incredibly close to her, his lips mere inches from her forehead until the boatman fairly ordered them to separate to make sure the boat didn't tip over.

Betty turned away hurriedly.

_What was she doing, staring at Jughead's lips? She had a boyfriend. Jughead was a friend._

Jughead watched Betty sit down elegantly, her long blonde hair hiding her face.

"You know, I've got to ask," he began conversationally. She looked up, her cheeks faintly pink.

_Must be the sun._

"Have you ever had other friends like me? People who don't lead the same kind of life as you, I mean."

He'd tried to sugarcoat the difference between them but she replied like it wasn't a loaded question for him.

"I don't but I wish I did. I've been missing out."

"How's that?" He asked, curiosity sparked.

Betty stared across the water, the sunlight glinting off her so brightly that she looked like she could be radiating sunshine.

"My circles..my life," she said haltingly. His eyes returned to her face. "They're not all they're made to seem."

He opened his mouth to say he'd never assumed that but she gestured at him to let her continue.

"I'm fully aware of the privileges, don't get me wrong." She said quickly. "I'm not ungrateful. But at the same time, most people care  _so much_  about appearances and impressions that they forget to be real people, to be genuine."

She locked eyes with him. "I have Kev, V and Cheryl but it's really  _really_  great to have someone who's not a part of that circus. To have someone who's grounded, unpretentious. You."

Jughead felt his heart swell dramatically and felt a full smile threatening to break out. To cover it, he cleared his throat and, like the ass he was, asked, "What about Reggie?"

_Idiot._

The softness faded from Betty's eyes it was replaced by a look he'd describe best as  _lost_  .

"Reggie's kind of always been around. He's…I don't know."

She definitely didn't speak with the kind of passion or familiar warmth that one would expect after a three year relationship. Jughead wondered for the hundredth time just what their deal was. Then again, it wasn't any of his business. He just had to drill that into his head.

He was broken out of his reverie by Betty splashing water at his face.

"Enjoy the scenery!" She exclaimed, all sunkissed and  _so damn beautiful_  and he breathed out a  _yeah_ , his writer's mind jumbling over the words to describe her in the moment.

As if she'd read his mind, she said, "You never told me what you write, Juggie."

"You want to take a wild guess at the genre?" He asked, smiling.

"Crime fiction or murder mystery." She said instantly and well,  _whoa_  because those were the only two genres he'd ever written.

"I have a very rough draft of a manuscript for a murder mystery." He felt a surge of pride as her eyes widened. "No way!" She said. "An entire manuscript? I had no idea you were that dedicated to writing."

"Yeah I mean," he shrugged. "It's hardly  _Agatha Christie_  but-"

" But I'm sure it's way better than you're giving yourself credit for. Can I read it?" She looked at him eagerly and it wasn't like he could refuse.

"It still needs work but uh…sure. Once I brush it up."

"Great!" She chirped. Something in his face must have conveyed his nervousness because she said quickly, "I'm not asking just for the sake of it. I have a degree in journalism. I can help out with publishers and all later if you want."

That caught his attention. "You studied journalism? But you don't, I mean-"

"I don't work?" She guessed and he nodded, relieved she hadn't taken offence.

"Most of us don't. They… _we_  … all have the money so it's like 'why work when you can just reap the benefits?'"

"But you got a degree anyway," he said.

"I mean we mostly run charities and participate in social causes and all and I admire that stuff too but I wanted the challenge. To succeed on my own merit for once. So yeah, I did. I do want to work though. For a living, even if I don't actually need the cash."

He did let himself smile at that. She was the furthest thing he'd seen from a stuck up, entitled socialite. "Why don't you?" He asked.

"Parental restrictions come in all forms," she laughed, tinged with bitterness. "I'm not allowed to pursue my degree because it's unheard of and would  _reflect badly on the family if a Cooper chose to take up an actual job._  "

"What?" He scoffed disbelievingly. "That's…insane. You'd make a great journalist."

She smiled wryly in a very un-Betty like fashion and asked, "You think so?"

With her drive and passion, there's no way she wouldn't be. "I know so." He replied softly.

* * *

Betty returned home on a high to find Kevin and Veronica lying in wait for her.

"Sooo," began Kevin the moment she walked through the door. "How was the date?"

"What? It wasn't a date!" She looked at Veronica, who blinked at her innocently. "V, what did you tell him?"

Veronica got to her feet and followed Betty up the stairs to her room, Kevin in tow. "I just gave him the cold hard facts. He drew his own conclusions."

Betty sat down on her bed, which bounced a moment later when Kevin landed next to her. "He's cute right?" He asked without preamble.

Betty sighed and crossed the room to shut the door, lest Mama Cooper hear snatches of this conversation. "He's good looking," she said in what she hoped was a neutral tone.

"So that means both cute and hot," said Kevin musingly. Veronica nodded sagely and added, "Our B says that they're just friends."

"Because we are!" said Betty.

"That'd be more believable without the blush," said Veronica while Kevin sat up properly, suddenly serious.

"Be careful okay?" he said and Betty frowned at the abrupt change in tone.

"Careful with him? Jughead's a good guy. He'd never-"  
Kevin cut her off, shaking his head. "I mean, be careful about keeping this friendship discreet. Based on what I've heard, this Jughead sounds like a stand up guy but you know all hell will break loose if any of our parents catch wind of this."

"What we're saying," began Veronica gently, "Is that our families are dead set against us doing anything that doesn't befit our social standing. This sort of a friendship is one of them."

Betty slumped slightly even though she knew it was true. "I've already seen what Reggie's disapproval looks like," she said.

"He isn't exactly as open minded as we are," said Veronica diplomatically.

Betty laughed slightly in disbelief. "All this secrecy because we don't know how our folks will react to a friendship. Imagine if it had been a forbidden romance!"

Betty turned away, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all and didn't notice the look Kevin and Veronica exchanged behind her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, an insight into Betty's mind! She's essentially a caged soul and her friendship with J has now been cemented.
> 
> This was such a great week for the Bughead / Sprousehart fandom, I stg.
> 
> Also, I keep referring to Jughead's garment as a white tank top / vest because I absolutely refuse to use the term 'wife beater'. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time leap ahead!

Jughead stared blearily at the three dots on his phone screen, indicating that Betty was typing a message.

It was… _1 am_ , a quick glance at the top of his screen confirmed. His eyes were straining and he was exhausted but he wasn't ending the conversation, not quite yet.

Not that this sort of a situation was unusual for him anymore. Granted, he was rarely as tired as he'd been today but over the past one month, he and Betty had been texting pretty relentlessly.

They'd met too and often at that. She'd come by during his lunch slot or he'd drive to her after hours and they'd hang out at cafes, his garage, public libraries.

It had started with messages like ' **Hey, want to meet to discuss your novel-in-progress?**  '. It had taken off from there. Betty, as he'd come to learn, took her editing seriously and examined  _every excruciating detail_  of his written work. He thought she was brilliant at it.

Meeting to work on his manuscript after she'd read it was definitely not a pretext but they also spent hours discussing regular topics. It was friendly but it felt like friendship on fire to Jughead. The conversations never ran dry and the rare silences between them were comfortable.

He liked her. The whole high school, implied-inverted commas version of like.  _(But do you 'like' like her?)_

When Jughead had returned from that first lunch with Betty, he'd been accosted by Archie who'd demanded details in his typical teasing lively bro fashion. Jughead had looked down at his shoes for a beat, then looked up and said,  _"I like her."_

Archie hadn't needed to question what kind, though yeah, Jughead liked her a lot platonically too. At least that's what it had been a month ago. As he'd gotten to know Betty better, as she'd fed him tidbits about her past and her current life, something had…shifted for him. Deepened. He felt incredibly protective of her and he'd asked until she'd gotten into the habit of texting him when she arrived somewhere safely. He could pick up on her moods, just like she could on his. He felt better instantly whenever he saw her happy. As cliche as it had gotten, her presence brightened his days.

 _But he wasn't in love_  , he told himself. It had only been a little over a month. That would be ridiculous.

* * *

Betty stretched luxuriantly in bed, the sun's rays falling across her face. She raised her forearm to shield her eyes, still sleepy and thought back to the night before.

She and Jughead had texted into the night as usual. Last night, the topic of conversation had ended with embarrassing childhood stories. She chuckled lightly to herself at some of his. The one she'd found most endearing was about how he'd tried to be a wingman to Archie in  _kindergarten_  .

Apparently Archie, who had always been a Casanova, had developed a crush on some girl and had begged Jughead to go say something nice to her about him. Adult Jughead maintained that he'd been coerced but he'd ultimately gone up to the girl and halfway through his introduction, had tripped and faceplanted in the mud in front of her.

Betty rolled over to muffle her giggles in her pillow. She could just picture his face at age three, chubby and well intentioned, flushing beet red underneath the mud cake. Then again, what she'd gleaned from it was that Jughead Jones had always had a good heart.

Which was a part of why she had grown so fond of him in such a short while, she reasoned. His well being mattered to her. And that was exactly why she'd cut short last night's conversation after she'd noticed the time lag between his responses lengthening, like he was dozing off mid discussion. She could practically feel his exhaustion in his replies but he'd adamantly refused to go to sleep, saying he was enjoying visualising her as  _'the cutest blonde baby around.'_

She may have blushed inwardly at that but she'd threatened to not bring food the next time she visited during lunch unless he got his rest and he finally listened.

So the guy could also act like a kid sometimes, underneath the broody exterior. It was adorable.

Betty got out of bed and freshened up, then went over her schedule for the day mentally. She had ballet practice for most of the day, given her upcoming show the following night. That still left her with enough time to review another one of Jughead's chapters and drop the notes off at his place sometime during the day. Plus, she had a surprise for him.

* * *

Jughead had just finished collecting the fees from a very satisfied customer when he noticed Betty approaching over the man's shoulder. He called out a greeting, which trailed off into nothing once he took her in fully. He barely noticed the strange look his customer gave him as he left. Betty, being Betty smiled warmly at the man as she passed him and came to stand right in front of Jughead.

She was wearing a swimsuit.

It was sleeveless and skin tight and granted, she had tied a flannel shirt around her waist which he supposed would conceal her…rear…from public view but she was also wearing skin coloured tights and she looked  _insanely sexy._

 _And thinking like that about her,_  he told his anatomy,  _was very very wrong of him._

She waved her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Jughead?" she asked, looking amused.

"Right yeah uh-" He glanced away to compose himself. "You're in a swimsuit."

" _Juggie_  ," she hissed in embarrassment, glancing around. "It's a leotard!". She gestured at herself. "This is my practice outfit for ballet. I have a show tomorrow night."

_Still basically swimwear._

"Oh whoa, you'll smash it." he said instead with a smile. "And thank heavens Archie or male customers aren't around right now," he added in a mutter.

Betty rolled her eyes slightly self consciously. "I don't walk around the streets in this. I just came in here to talk to you. Oh and give you this."

She drew a slim binder from her bag and handed it over. " Chapter notes."

"Thanks," he said distractedly, flipping through it. "We'll go over it together when you're free, yeah?"

"Yeah," she breathed out, sounding slightly nervous and he looked up. " You okay?" he asked.

She clasped her hands together excitedly and practically burst out, "I got a ticket for you for the show."

"What…really??" he asked in disbelief. She'd had two more shows in the past month and he'd asked after all. She'd apologised for not being able to procure a ticket for him every time but the shows had all been pre booked and there wasn't anything she could do.

"How did this work out?" he asked.

She drew a ticket from the bag and held it out. He took it, noting the elegant script on it. "Okay so V, Cheryl and Reggie were supposed to attend this show but he bailed today so it's yours if you want it."

"Hell yeah I do," he grinned and she beamed back, not looking the least bit upset about Reggie's absence. "Why did Reggie cancel though?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Said something came up. Thank God it wasn't V or Cheryl who cancelled. You'd have to spend time with him then."

"I'd be focused on the dance, you know," he said honestly.

She nodded and began to walk backwards towards her car. He took a few unconscious steps forward. "I've got to go but…timing details are on the ticket, arrive like half an hour early, Veronica will meet you at the entrance; she's been  _dying_  to anyway…and wear a tux!"

He watched her clear excitement that rivalled his own as she got into her car and lowered the window to say her au revoir.

"What will the performance be about?" he asked, just as she began to raise the power windows.

 _"Swan Lake!"_  Betty called, driving off.

* * *

Jughead paced in front of Globe Theatre's steps in his uncomfortably starched tuxedo, one that had hung in the back of his closet for years. He was just glad it fit and that  _he_  in turn, fit in with the richer crowd around. Sure he'd never blend with these people mentally but the least he could do was put in the effort for Betty. Hence the starch; to make a limp, abandoned suit look crisp. He hadn't ditched the beanie though.

When Jughead had told Archie he was going to watch a dance show, his best friend had asked why he wasn't invited to ' _the strip club.'_  Jughead had shoved his phone, on which he'd been reading  _Wikipedia_  's page on  _Swan Lake_  at him in reply. Archie had made a face and then left Jughead to his own devices, for which he'd been grateful. His nerves needed calming before meeting Veronica and Cheryl and given that Archie's current favourite topic was all the hot sex he was having with his latest flame, he'd be of no help.

(Valerie had lasted all of two weeks.)

"A grey beanie that I've heard is a signature and a brooding vibe," said a clear voice behind him and he spun around.

The speaker, a Latina shorter than Betty, with glossy, black hair and a pearl necklace flicked her eyes over him once before extending her hand.

"I'm Veronica Lodge. This is my girlfriend, Cheryl-" -she gestured at a redhead behind her wearing a bored expression who merely nodded in greeting- "and I'm sure we've both heard way too much about each other already."

Jughead shook Veronica's manicured hand, mildly taken aback by her bluntness despite Betty's stories but also grateful for it. He hated pleasantries that required beating around the bush and Veronica's sharp brown eyes seemed piercingly direct.

"Jughead, though you know that already." He stuck his free hand in his trouser pocket and inclined his head to include Cheryl. "I've heard a lot about both of you."

"What prompted you to come see this show, Jughead?" asked Cheryl unexpectedly.

"Well I mentioned to Betty that I'd like to after she told me about ballet in general and this was the first time it worked out."

Cheryl passed Veronica and sauntered right up to Jughead, stopping so close that he could smell her overwhelmingly strong perfume. "I wonder.." she practically purred, a blood red nail, rather  _talon_ , stroking down the length of his tie, stopping at his chest. He stiffened.

"Is this about ballet or the lovely Betty?" She asked in a voice that sounded husky and seductive and so very  _wrong_.

Before he could come up with a reply to satisfy the people who obviously knew Betty well and must support her long relationship with Reggie, Cheryl turned and flounced up the staircase to the main entrance.

He turned to Veronica, feeling like he'd just been thrown a test. "Was that normal?" he asked with more force than was probably polite but that had been  _weird_ , dammit.

Veronica smiled fondly after her girlfriend and flashed Jughead an impish smirk. "Completely. But don't mind her. C'mon."

She began climbing the stairs and Jughead followed, feeling mildly alarmed.

* * *

Jughead settled into his seat in the viewing gallery and let his eyes take in the grandeur of the interior. The carpets were plush, the curtains were essentially heavy draperies, the chandeliers were enormous and the complementary champagne was very unexpected.

"Part of the life," Veronica had said easily when she'd been offered a flute. Jughead however, had noticed Cheryl's eyes linger on his surprised expression for a second before she'd looked away.

Jughead recalled an important question just as the lights went out.

 _"Who is Betty playing?"_  he whispered to Veronica, mindful of the other people in their gallery.

" _Odette_  ," she whispered back.

 _"Thanks,"_  he muttered.

She turned her face away from the stage partially. "You know who that is?" she asked.

"Of course I do," he returned. "I did my homework."

The curtains swung back at that moment and Jughead trained his eyes on the stage, missing the satisfied look on Veronica's face.

Jughead knew Princess Odette didn't make an appearance until the second act. He knew exactly at which point in the show to expect Betty. Despite that, he was so engrossed in the story that when the she did make her entrance, he was completely unprepared for it.

_He was also well aware that, if it hadn't been for Betty, this was the kind of romantic, fantasy-based tale he would have mocked. He knew he was whipped, thank you very much._

But even if his opinion had been completely unbiased, he would have freely admitted that Betty Cooper was a stunning ballerina. He couldn't see her face from this distance and his only knowledge of the dance form came from Betty herself but he knew enough to know that she was fantastic at it.

She carried herself with a confidence that he felt second hand pride in. She flew across the stage, all grace and fluidity; a vision in white. He watched, enthralled in a way he'd never be able to confess to Archie.

Betty portrayed Odette, the swan princess, with the passion she'd told him about and he fully understood what she meant now. He watched, hooked, as Siegfried and Odette fell in love, as the princess thought she'd been betrayed, as the lovers reunited and as they sacrificed their lives for love.

At that point, Jughead knew he'd normally be thinking about how inane the whole suicidal Romeo and Juliet approach to love was.

What he was thinking was more along the lines of how powerfully the emotions had been portrayed by the lead pair and just how incredible Betty was to be able to convey all of it via her movements.

_He was turning into a sap. Disgusting._

After the curtains finally swung shut to thunderous applause and the lights blinked back on, Jughead turned to Veronica, still slightly dazed. She was dabbing at the corner of her eye with a silk handkerchief.

"I've watched her perform Swan Lake three times. She slays it every single time," she said to Jughead.

"And you cry every single damn time," said Cheryl to her girlfriend, who flipped her off as she stood.

"Betty had two other shows this month right? Did you see them?" asked Jughead. He stepped around the girls and held the door open for them.

"No, they were minor ones. I think Reggie was supposed to see them but I don't know. This was the big number she's been working on for weeks now. Didn't she tell you that?" asked Veronica, passing him. Cheryl sashayed out next, brushing past Jughead. He backed into the door as subtly as he could to avoid contact.

"She didn't, no," he said, puzzled.  _Why wouldn't she mention something this great?_

"She's modest," said Cheryl and  _yeah, that explained it._

"The one she had a month ago was minor too, wasn't it V?" asked Cheryl of her partner, who nodded as she led the group round the back, where they'd meet Betty.

"You know which one I mean," the redhead continued, addressing Jughead now. "The one after which you snuck into her bedroom, fell  _on_  her and then proceeded to spend the night together."

Jughead turned scarlet underneath her smoky-eyed stare and fumbled as he tried to defend himself. "It wasn't like that! I mean technically yeah but  _no_  -"

"Backstage entrance, we're here!" called out Veronica from ahead in a sing-song voice.

Jughead gave up on trying to clarify since Cheryl clearly knew what the facts were. He slipped indoors past Veronica instead, registering once he was through that the security guard on duty was the same one who'd blocked him on the first night.

_Oh well, he had better things to do, like finding B-_

Someone slender and almost a head shorter than him slammed into his chest and he stumbled back a step, taking an instant to place the trademark flowery perfume.

_Betty._

He wrapped his arms around her, feeling electrified and still stunned, even as she squeezed him tightly and then pulled away.

"Jug!" she practically squealed in his face, post-performance adrenaline clearly still in effect. She was still in her ballet costume but her face had been scrubbed clean of makeup, hair let down from it's tightly plastered-to-the-scalp state.

She was talking, rapid fire, her arms still loosely around his waist.

"Did you like it? I slipped up a little in Act 4, I hope nobody noticed. I don't even know if you recognised me! I didn't even tell you what my role was! I-"

"Odette," he said softly, gripping her forearms to resist the urge to hug her again. She stopped rambling and just looked at him, still flushed.

"You were  _brilliant_  ," he said, lowering his voice. She smiled and he continued, completely forgetting that Veronica and Cheryl were around. "I mean I'm the guy who'd normally make sarcastic jokes about dance and ballet but you were incredible. The show was fucking great." She cringed slightly at the profanity but he knew she didn't really mind it.

_You're fucking great, Betts._

"Thanks," she said, genuine smile lighting her up and then Veronica shoved him aside, wrapped Betty in a hug and declared that Betty was out to ruin her mascara with every such show.

Cheryl paid Betty a few warm compliments too, which honestly surprised him.

It was as they were finally leaving, after Betty changed and Veronica chatted with acquaintances from the cast, that the security guard stopped them again.

The man let Veronica and Cheryl pass, even tipped his hat at them but stepped forward to block Jughead's exit uncertainly.

"Oh hi Chris!" said Betty looking surprised. She took in  _Chris'_  hostile stance and Jughead's slightly exasperated look. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

The man looked between Betty and Jughead and asked, "He's not bothering you, is he Miss Cooper?"

Jughead opened his mouth to reply but Betty beat him to it. "No of course not! Juggie's a dear friend."

She smiled up at him, looped her arm through Jughead's and stepped around the guard gracefully. "Goodnight Chris!" she chirped.

Jughead's predominant thought, as he walked to the parking lot with Betty's hand still holding the crook of his elbow casually, was that Reginald Mantle  _should_  have been the happiest man in the whole world.

Veronica proposed drinks, poised outside her chauffeur-driven limousine but Jughead declined, citing the night shift.

"Oh that's right!" Veronica exclaimed. "That's so  _quaint_. I mean I've never been inside a real garage."  
"It's just like any other job, V," laughed Betty. "Speaking of which," she said to Jughead. "I should have asked if Archie wanted to come. I mean he's never really shown interest in ballet but still."

"Don't worry about it," laughed Jughead. "He's into music but nothing classical. Anyway, he's probably catching up on sleep tonight. Had a workout last night."

"New girl?" Betty asked knowingly.

"Yep," he said. "A Geraldine Grundy."

"What an awful name!" said Betty.

"She's like…fifteen years older too."

Betty shook her head in exasperation as Cheryl joined the conversation. "A cougar! Spicy." she purred.

"You're taken sweetie," Veronica chimed in. "So when do we get to meet Romeo?" She asked Jughead.

"Anytime you want really," he said with a shrug. "But hey he's…actually a good guy."

"Just sort of lost," said Cheryl.

"But…okay…in the time that I've known you," said Betty to Jughead, "there was Valerie then…Ginger…then Val again for a night…"

"I honestly barely remember their names anymore," confessed Jughead.

"And for good reason," said Cheryl, which was the nicest she'd been to him so far. "And what about you, hmm?" She flipped her long red hair over her shoulder. "How many fair maidens have passed through your bed?"

 _Jesus Christ,_  this girl had no filter.

"None," he said, hopefully  _not turning red_.

"There haven't been any girls in the past month," added Betty helpfully.

_There hadn't been any girl, ever. Not that Betty knew that._

"Or boys!" said Jughead, correctly guessing what Cheryl was opening her mouth to suggest.

"Just saying," the redhead muttered, sliding into the limo.

* * *

Betty reached home at around midnight, which was a stretchable curfew when society events were involved.

After Jughead had said his goodbyes and left, Veronica had insisted on drinks before dropping Betty home. Her verdict on Jughead had been favourable and Cheryl had simply stated that sexy females approaching him seemingly freaked him out.

Betty didn't take that as an insult at all. Knowing Cheryl, she'd pulled her seductress routine on Jughead which was one of her favourite hazing techniques. Betty hadn't had time to warn the poor boy, though she wondered how creeped out he'd really been. Cheryl being a lesbian was common knowledge but she was still a very attractive woman. Betty didn't hold a candle to her.

She shook her head, pushing all such thoughts aside. Jughead had cleaned up  _really_  well, had had a good time and had gotten the Lodge and (kind of gotten) the Blossom seals of approval. She called that a win.

 _He was a great hugger too,_  she mused, shutting the main door behind her.

"Elizabeth!" called Alice Cooper, the instant Betty rounded the corner into the living room. Behind her, Reggie rose from the sofa.

"Reggie?" asked Betty, puzzled. "Didn't you say-"

"Uh-uh-uh!" said her mother, raising a finger. Betty stopped talking and Alice swooped forward.

"Where  _were_  you, darling? Poor Reginald has been waiting for half an hour to meet you. He's so sorry he missed tonight's show. He wants a word," said Alice in one breath and Betty marvelled yet again at her mother's ability to fawn over Reggie incessantly.

_And thanks for asking how my show was, Mom._

"Sure," she said instead, walking into the adjacent room and shutting the door after Reggie entered.

She leaned back against it and looked at Reggie expectantly.

"I finished up early so I thought I'd pick you up," he began.

"I didn't get any missed calls or texts," said Betty frowning.

"No you wouldn't have," he said. "I uh- I knew you'd be busy with Veronica and Cheryl so I called Melody from your ballet troupe instead to ask if you were still there but you'd gone."

"Okay…" said Betty, unsure of where this was going.  _So he'd thought of picking her up but she'd already left. Big deal._

"Mel said you were pretty cozy with a guy in a beanie. Jughead."

"Oh," Betty laughed. "Yeah I offered him your ticket and he said he loved the show and-"

"That's not my point," interrupted Reggie brusquely, starting to pace. "It looks bad."

"What do you mean?" she asked.  _How did what look bad?_

"You!" he said emphatically. "My girlfriend gallivanting around town with this dude. Yeah, I know you two meet," he added when Betty began to speak.

"We're friends, Reggie. Of course we meet."

"He's a mechanic," said Reggie derisively.

_This again._

"And a good guy! It's not like he's taking advantage of my money or whatever he's just a really great friend!"

Reggie snorted. "I don't care about the advantage thing. If people see you interacting with him,  _hugging_ him, it reflects badly on me."

Betty felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach.  _He didn't care if someone took advantage of her - not that Jughead ever would - and it reflected badly on him??_

"Let me get this straight," she said disbelievingly. "You have a problem with my friendship with Jughead because it…what? Makes you look like less of a man?"

Reggie laughed harshly and faced her fully. "My girlfriend isn't going to be hanging around with some disgusting lowlife."

Betty inhaled sharply and walked right up to Reggie. " Jughead Jones is not a  _lowlife_ ," she said. "He's an intelligent, well read,  _kind_  man and he's my friend. I don't care where he comes from. And if you're going to talk about him like that, get out of my fucking house!"

She turned and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She raced up the stairs to her room, grateful that her mother had seemingly gone to bed and hence wasn't around to make Betty apologise to Reggie.

Betty heard the door slam downstairs as she sat down on her bed, clenching and unclenching her hands to stop them shaking.

She'd never snapped at Reggie like this before.

 _Then again,_  Betty thought wryly,  _given how freely Jughead swore (though she could tell he always tried to rein it in around her), he'd definitely be proud of her right now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of research I did for the Swan Lake bit was ridiculous but interesting!  
> The entire ballet angle wasn't supposed to be a part of the story anyway.
> 
> What did you guys think of Cheryl, Alice and most importantly, the new Jug / Betty dynamic?
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> P.S. - Please forgive any typos because I type all these chapters on my phone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Betty's texts are in bold and Jughead's are in bold italics, but I've specified anyway.
> 
> I swear every chapter keeps getting longer.
> 
> Mild mentions of self harm ahead.

Betty woke up to texts from Jughead, asking if she'd reached home okay and one from Reggie that simply read -  _Shouldn't have snapped._

_Was that even an apology?_

She replied to Jughead immediately, saying she'd gotten home tired and had crashed instantly the night before. Reggie's she ignored because she knew she'd be seeing him again that night at the Cooper Family Dinner. It was basically her parents, Polly, her and anyone they wished to invite. Alice Cooper had established these randomly scheduled meals ages ago, as a means for the family to 'stay connected' since Hal Cooper was frequently away on business trips and Polly and Betty entered and left the house at different times.

Every time Alice announced a dinner, the rest of them were meant to drop all other plans, plaster on fake smiles, eat  _(Don't eat too many mashed potatoes, Elizabeth. You need to watch your weight after all.)_  and in general, pretend to be united.

All the better if outside company was present for then, the world could see how perfect and communicative the Cooper family was.

Betty and Polly hated those meals.

Reggie, at Alice's invitation, had attened those dinners for years. After Betty had overheard her mother say once that if only Hermione Lodge hadn't been so busy with her clothing line, she'd definitely be invited to dinner, Betty had landed Veronica a permanent place on the guest list. The argument she'd given Alice was that V was a member of  _'the dear Lodge family.'_

Her mother despised Veronica but had never been able to find fault with her since she was the perfect guest. The dinners amused V and her presence granted some sanity to both the Cooper sisters.

_Reggie, as she'd told Jughead earlier, had just sort of always been there. A constant, Alice - approved figure._

Betty checked her phone again and sure enough, Jughead had already replied.

 ** _J - I'm kinda busy today so can we meet tomorrow? I have a bone to pick with you about the edits for that scene where the sister tells the sheriff she's responsible for Jason's murder._**  

She could tell he was joking. None of their creative differences were ever arguments; they mostly just evolved into friendly banter once they agreed on the edit.

 **Okay. Pops?**  she replied, referencing Jughead's favourite burger joint.

He replied almost as soon as she hit send.

**_J - Okay now I know something's off. Spill, Cooper._ **

_What the- how did he do that??_

**B - Nothing's wrong! Just still a little tired.**

_Please don't see through the lie._

Her phone dinged.

**_J - It's past 8. You wouldn't be tired if you'd crashed instantly last night._ **

It dinged again.

 ** _J - What's wrong Betts?_**  

She sighed. Curse him and his ridiculously caring nature. She didn't want to tell him that Reggie had insulted him  _again_  . He didn't deserve that. But then, Jughead generally saw right through the very few white lies she'd said in his presence.

Betty braced herself for it and hit the call button instead. He answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Cooper," he said warmly and she felt herself relax slightly for the first time since the previous night. "Hey," she said.

She heard some shuffling on his end and then a beep. "I've put you on speaker," he explained, voice now sounding slightly distant. "Kinda changing for the work day."

An image of a shirtless Jughead flashed through her mind and she gulped.

"So," he continued. "What's up?"

"Okay so," she began uncomfortably. "Reggie was waiting when I returned yesterday and he…wanted to talk."

The speaker clicked off and Jughead's deep voice suddenly sounded a lot closer. "What about?" he asked.

"Well…you," she said.

"Okay…" he said slowly. "I've only ever met him once."

"Yeah no, I know. He basically…minds…us meeting. Doesn't want us to be seen hanging out," she finished in a rush. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for his reply.

" _Be seen_  ?" Jughead repeated incredulously. "Why would being-oh. Right," he laughed dryly. "Because I'm a mechanic," he said flatly.

"Jug, no!" Betty protested. "I don't care about that. You're actually pulling your weight in life, which is more than he's ever done, than  _I've_  ever done!"

"Betty," he interrupted gently. "Why are you this upset about it? What did you say?"

"I told him to get out. That I'd be your friend regardless. I'm upset because…he shouldn't have said those things, Jug!"

"Hey," he said, sounding oddly breathless. "People are sorry, but- assholes all the time. It's never right but it can't be helped. You shouldn't have to deal with it but…you told him to what again?"

"My exact words were 'get out of my fucking house'," she said casually.

"What?" he breathed in disbelief. After a moment, he began chuckling and she fell back on the bed again, phone clutched to her ear, laughing slightly herself.

"Oh man," Jughead said at length. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

She smiled into the phone like he'd be able to read her expression.

"Also…" he said softly. "Thanks for sticking up for me. You didn't have to."

"Course I did, Juggie. Friends do that," she replied just as softly.

"Yeah," he said distractedly. "Friends….and um..you should talk to Reggie too. Clear the air."

"Yeah," she frowned. "He's coming over tonight. Family dinner."

"The Famous Cooper Tradition right," he joked lightly. "All the best for that."

"Thanks," she chuckled. "This helped, Jug. See you tomorrow?"

"Anytime." She heard him clear his throat. "Talk to Reggie, yeah? I don't want you two to fight about me of all things."

* * *

Betty sat down to dinner in one of her classic tea-party kind of dresses, longing for the mental ease her pyjamas brought her. Beside her, Veronica was making light conversation with Polly across the table. Reggie, who'd only just arrived, had slid in across from Betty but she'd taken Jughead's words to heart. She'd get back on track with him after dinner.

Alice Cooper sat down regally next to her husband at the head of the table and had them all say Grace. The meal then began, with Polly defiantly eating as much as she wanted to, her defence being that she was eating for three.

_(Sit up straighter, Elizabeth.)_

Reggie was his usual charming self with her parents. For the first time, Betty analysed the conversation instead of listening in only when she was required to or focusing on V and Polly.

It was shop talk. Reggie spoke to Hal Cooper about his business, asked intelligent questions about his investments and made sharp remarks. Alice, ever the lion queen, contributed here and there.

Earlier, Betty had assumed that Reggie did it to take the heat, the  _nagging_  off the sisters, especially her. Boyfriend duty. However, now that he was undoubtedly still at least somewhat angry with her, it stood to reason that it wasn't  _for_  her. Reggie Mantle was the kind of individual who, when incensed, would go out of his way  _not_  to help the offender or anyone involved.

His interactions with her parents, however, followed the same pattern as always. Smooth, witty, smart. The conversations, then, were for his benefit.

_Had they always been?_

"Elizabeth!" called her father. Betty's head jerked up. "Do be attentive. I've heard you had a great show yesterday."

"Oh yes," she said. "Yeah, V and a few others attended. It went well."

"She was fabulous," added Veronica earnestly.

"Hmm. Which story was it again?" asked Hal.

" _Swan Lake,"_  said Betty.

"Oh, that's great. I watched it once when we were engaged." He smiled fondly at Alice, who placed her hand over his very obviously.

Betty caught Polly's eye and they both glanced away, Betty feeling nauseous at the sheer  _artificiality_  of it all. Sure her parents did love each other but to broadcast it for the hype..

"Alice tells me that Polly's mostly been at home but how have you spent the past few weeks?" asked Hal.

"The usual, really," said Betty. "Ballet, socialising-"

"Actually Betty made a new friend!" said Reggie cheerfully. Betty froze.

"Really?" asked Alice.

"Yeah, it's quite the story," said Reggie, taking a sip of his water. "She-" He glanced at Betty and she caught the mean glint in his eye.

"-met him, he's a mechanic, by the way, at his garage when her car broke down and they've been meeting ever since."

"As a group mostly," blurted Betty. "Him, his friend. Veronica and Cheryl have met them, haven't you?" She turned to Veronica desperately, who nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, they're really nice guys," she supplied though she'd never met Archie.

"Oh that's funny," said Reggie thoughtfully. Alice's sharp eyes darted to him again while Hal's and Polly's remained focused on Betty, his unreadable and hers concerned.

"I didn't know there was another guy." Reggie met Betty's eyes coolly. "Betty only talks about one of them. A Jug Head. I've met him. He attended  _Swan Lake_  with the girls yesterday. Hung out backstage too."

A silence fell across the table, the only sound being the pounding in Betty's ears. Reggie returned to his meal calmly, like he hadn't just-

Alice stood, her chair scraping against the floor loudly. "Elizabeth," she said with faux normalcy, "a word?"

Betty rose slowly, making eye contact with Polly, who nodded encouragingly. Hal asked Veronica a question, making her jump and Reggie kept his head down.

Alice led her upstairs and into the nearest guest bedroom in silence. Even in her numb state, Betty had to marvel at her mother's strategizing. The room was far enough from the dinner party for them to speak unheard but also the closest room out of earshot.

Alice shut the door with a snap and turned to face Betty slowly. "Was that true?" she asked, deceptively calmly. The quiet before the storm.

"Which part?" asked Betty, her mind still buzzing.

"All of it," Alice snapped. "This boy. The one you meet. Everything Reggie said about him."

Betty flattened her palms against the sides of her dress to keep them from forming fists. "We did meet how Reggie said," she said slowly. "He does work at the garage but Jughead's also a-"

"Jug Head?" interrupted Alice disgustedly. "That's really his  _name_?"

"It's a nickname!" asserted Betty, feeling coursing through her body again. "He's also a writer and we meet to discuss his work-"

"So he's a published author?"

"No but-"

Her mother cut her off again by clapping her hands together with forced calm. Apparently Alice Cooper had heard enough. "The solution to this little hiccup is clear then. You are not to see this boy again, Elizabeth."

_What?_

Betty lurched forward and grabbed her mother's shoulder just as Alice began to open the door. Alice swung back, her free arm accidentally striking Betty in the stomach with force. She stumbled back a few paces, staring at her mother in shock.

"You don't understand what you're doing, Elizabeth," said Alice calmly.

"Mom," tried Betty again, "He's a  _friend_  , a good guy-"

"Enough!" said Alice sharply. She advanced on Betty, pointing her finger at her threateningly. "Now I don't know what fantasy world you live in but you're young. Naìve. You don't understand what-"

"I understand just fine!" cried Betty. "Jughead is a good friend-"

"And that apparent friendship will be a stain on the family name!" yelled Alice. "It's bad enough that Polly is having children out of wedlock, that she doesn't even  _know_  who the father is. And now you're making mistakes too!"

"I'm not Polly!" said Betty. "It's completely different!"

"You don't know what's good for you!" screamed Alice. "You're not fit to be making your own decisions if  _this_  is what you're choosing. Veronica and Cheryl have shamed their families already. Kevin and Reggie are the only decent people in your life."

Betty felt her fingers curl in on themselves as she took a few calming breaths. Her hands curled tighter, nails digging in deeper. She broke skin. She let out a breath.

"Reggie had no right to tell you what he did," said Betty.

Alice scoffed. "Reggie is the best thing to ever happen to you. And you're too incompetent to even see it."

"Now-" continued Alice as Betty opened her mouth again. "I want you to go up to your room and go to bed. Go."

Betty pushed past her mother and ran.

* * *

Back in her room, Betty sank down on her bed, sobs wracking her body. Veronica or Polly wouldn't be able to get to her even if they wanted to; her mother would see to that.

 _Juggie_.

She reached for her phone, then noticed her bloody palms. Oh God she…she hadn't drawn blood in  _years_. The old scars on her palms hadn't felt the push of her fingernails since she'd gotten her journalism degree.

Betty held her hands under the tap in her bathroom, ignoring the sting and staring at the ceiling to avoid having to look at the blood. She towelled her hands dry and hunted for some ointment, which she applied liberally.

Then, she texted Jughead. Her focus being diverted for a while had called her down a little and the message she sent was unexpectedly coherent. Her hands were still trembling.

**B - Hey Juggie. You free?**

He replied within the minute.

**_J - Yep. Done for the day. Shouldn't you be at dinner?_ **

She wanted to see him. She wanted to get out of the house, to feel free for once in her life.

**B - Can you maybe come over? Now?**

**_J - Is everything okay? Did you and Reggie talk?_ **

**B - Please just…come over? I mean if you can…if that's okay. I'll tell you when we meet.**

**_J - 15 minutes._ **

Betty out her phone down and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop the tears.  _That was Alice Cooper for you,_  she thought bitterly.

Her very own mother, who stripped away every shred of self confidence Betty had until she was left feeling worthless, like she really was making all the wrong choices.

Except Betty knew she wasn't. She wiped her tears away furiously and waited.

Jughead texted soon.

**_J - I'm outside. Want me to sneak in again?_ **

Betty considered her options quickly.

**B - No that's okay. I'll come down. Wait near the side entrance.**

**_J - Okay._ **

Betty locked her room from the inside and switched off the lights. Then she put on sneakers, grabbed her phone, tucked it into her dress pocket and shimmied down the pipe outside her window. Ballet strengthened the leg muscles like nothing else did and well, Betty and Polly had been mischievous as children anyway.

She ran noiselessly across the back lawn and out through the side gate, almost colliding with Jughead, who was waiting in the shadows right outside.

"Steady there," he said, hands on her shoulders. Betty watched as he took in her dress and sneakers and obviously tear streaked face. She raised her hand to her face self consciously but he grabbed it in one of his own. "What happened?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"I-" Her throat threatened to close up again so she shook her head instead. "Can we get away first? Go somewhere that's…peaceful?"

"Somewhere you can breathe?" he muttered. She nodded, not really surprised that he understood so well.

"I know a place. Car's around the corner, c'mon," Jughead led her to it, the slight guiding pressure of his large hand on her back being the one thing that was keeping her anchored.

They drove in silence after he'd insisted on seatbelts,with him casting worried looks her way and her looking out of the window, blinking back tears. He pulled up right outside the entrance to the riverfront.

"We're at Sweetwater?" asked Betty. Jughead came around to her side and opened the door. "There's a secluded spot right next to the river. That's where I'm taking you."

Betty slid out and shivered immediately as the cool night air hit her. Jughead shrugged off his fleece lined jacket wordlessly as they walked and draped it around her shoulders, shushing her protests.

He led her down a lesser used path, away from the lovers and families at the riverfront at this hour. The path ended at a clearing right next to where sand and gravel met water. The sparse trees on either side shielded them from view but they could still see the city lights twinkling from the opposite bank. Betty sank down on the bench, feeling more at peace already. Jughead sat down next to her, concern furrowing his brow.

"What's going on?"

She didn't even know where to begin. "Reggie tattled at dinner. He casually let slip that you and I are friends and have been for a while in front of my parents," she said. Jughead inhaled sharply but stayed silent.

"Mom pulled me upstairs to  _have a word_  ," Betty continued, feeling the anger and helplessness wash over her again. She got to her feet and began pacing, clutching Jughead's jacket to her.

"And she basically called me young and naíve and said I was starting down the road Polly took and then she said I was incompetent and that Reggie was the best person in my life and that I was too stupid to see it and she wouldn't even let me  _talk_ -"

Jughead came up to her and reeled her in. Betty pressed her face against his collarbone, ugly sobs ripping through her then, her arms trapped between them. It didn't feel like entrapment though. It felt safe. Jughead held her tighter, whispering comfort in her ear as she calmed down.

"Your mother…shouldn't have dismissed you like that," he said evenly. Betty nodded against his shoulder, his voice reverberating through his chest.

"You're not any of the things she said either," he went on. "You're definitely not doing what Polly did. None of that's true."

Betty closed her eyes, letting his words seep their way under her skin. They stayed like that for a few moments. She opened her hands to grip his tshirt, then pulled back with a hiss when the fabric scraped against her cuts.

_Shit._

Jughead pulled back immediately and grabbed her hands before she could respond, his expression shifting from worried to straight up horrified.

" _Betty_..since when?" he breathed out in shock. Betty tried to pull her hands back but he held on, running his fingers lightly over the skin around the scabs. "There weren't any cuts before, I would have noticed-"

" _Jug_." Betty freed her hands and grasped his. He squeezed back and a tingle shot down her spine. "I used to do…this…for a while ages ago. But I stopped and I haven't for a long time now. Tonight was the first time in a long while and it was only because things got so out of hand."

Jughead caressed her hands with both of his almost unconsciously as he asked, "Why did you do it earlier?"

"During my journalism thing. Mom wouldn't get off my back about it. She constantly told me that I was wasting my time, that  _I_  was a waste of time-"

Jughead made a noise of disbelief and Betty shrugged.

"Ballet happened because it's Cooper approved. It's sophisticated. It's just fortunate that I fell in love with it. Do you want to know why I chose journalism in particular, Juggie?"

The questioning look in his eyes prodded her on.

She plopped down on the sand, not caring if her dress got dirty and he dropped down next to her. Betty stared across the water, keenly aware of Jughead's gaze on the side of her face.

"It became a means of expressing my thoughts-" she said "-in a way that was deemed more suitable. If my spoken words were dismissed, at least my written work wouldn't be ignored. I did it so that, one way or another, I'd have a voice." She looked at him shyly.

"I think it's brilliant," he said, hushed. "Also…" He cleared his throat. "Your friendship with me. You shouldn't be getting flack for it, yeah but the point is you  _are_  so wouldn't it be easier for you if we…"

He trailed off and Betty sat up, feeling like the rug was being pulled from underneath her feet. "If what?" she demanded. "If we stopped being friends?"

He nodded at his lap, biting his lip.

"No," she said, her voice cracking. " _No_  , Jug. You're so…you're important to me. You mean so much. You can't just go-"

She grabbed his shoulder frantically, getting him to face her and Jughead slid his arms around her shoulders, hugging her to his side again. "You're fucking important to me too Betts," he said into her hair, his voice strained. "But I don't want it to be this difficult for you."

Juggie being his sweet, suffer-in-silence self except Betty wasn't having it.

"It's no walk in the park for you either. Reggie. The guy at the theatre. Don't think I didn't notice," she muttered into his chest.

His hand began rubbing circles on her back through his jacket. She leaned in closer.

"Is it worth it to you?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah."

"Good because it's worth it to me too. Settled," she said, her heart lightening when she felt him chuckle at the simplicity of her words.

Betty sat there for a while, wrapped in the arms of a man who wasn't her boyfriend and thought about what she'd told Jughead. Reggie. He'd done something spiteful tonight. Of late, she felt as though she'd woken to faults of his that she'd been blind to before. He was standoffish towards her too. They'd been spending less time together recently, for the past few months in fact, but she hadn't really minded.

Now that she thought about it, their meetings had always been normal. Devoid of any form of passion. Sure, they'd kissed. They'd also been together for three years so sex had been involved but it had been…well, unremarkable. She'd thought that was normal. She didn't have anyone or anything to compare to.

She didn't think she'd ever felt tingles down her spine from Reggie's touch but somehow, Jughead's hand on her back through layers of clothing made her feel more alive. He made her feel valued, safe. In fact, now that Betty thought about it, when it came to Reggie Mantle, she couldn't ever remember  _feeling_.

Betty's breathing quickened.  _Did she have feelings for Jughead? When did that happen?_

As if he could read her thoughts, the person in question spoke against her scalp. "What are you going to do about Reggie?"

_Good question._

"Talk to him," she said, trying to be reasonable. "See if he has an explanation."

_And figure out if we should even be together while I'm at it._

Jughead shifted slightly, releasing her. She felt the loss at once but he kept an arm draped around her shoulders.

"If you don't mind my asking," he said carefully, "Why Reggie? Why are you with him?"

She answered both for his benefit and her own. "The Mantles moved here four years ago. I was getting my degree then. They were wealthy and our parents got along so they sort of just pushed Reggie and me together. We'd attend events together and stuff and that just…stuck."

"So you started dating?" asked Jughead incredulously.

"It just happened! He took me to a few dances and all. Didn't feel like the worst idea at the time." She laughed dryly. "I still can't believe what he did today. I mean you would never do something like that." She looked at him, registering how close he was.

Jughead felt his heart rate speed up. He wondered if Betty realised she'd just compared him to her boyfriend. Or whatever Reggie was.

She was looking up at him,  _so so close_  to his face.

"I wouldn't," he agreed quietly.

She stared at him. "I don't know why I'm still with him," she said. His eyes flickered over her face, taking in the dried tear tracks, her pink, parted lips.

"Not now that I know how it…" she trailed off. He could have sworn she'd just glanced at his lips.

"Know what?" he whispered, not completely sure what they were talking about.

"How it feels to  _feel_ ," she breathed, barely audible, eyes most definitely on his mouth.

She tilted her head up. He lowered his. His eyes fluttered shut and then her lips were brushing against his  _so softly_  and he-

Betty jumped back with a yelp like she'd been electrified. He watched, brain still short circuited, as she scrambled to her feet and pressed her hands over her mouth. "What?" He asked dumbly.

She lowered her hands. "I- I'm in a relationship. I almost  _cheated_  , oh God, I'm so sorry. Even if it is Reggie, I still shouldn't-"

She began apologising in earnest and he got up too, his desire to pummel Reggie for existing warring with his own guilt. She'd been upset, what had he been thinking?

"I'm sorry," he said. She stopped wringing her hands and looked at him blankly. "You were distraught, I wasn't thinking-"

"Neither was I but I shouldn't have led you on or been  _that woman_ -"

"You didn't lead me on! I shouldn't have tried that, it was taking advantage-"

She cut him off. "It wasn't, I wanted it and oh God, I'm such an idiot-"

_She'd wanted it?_

Jughead shook himself mentally. Betty was still ranting frantically and she'd called him to help her; not to agitate her further.

"Betty," he said. She paused briefly. "Are we involved in a guilt-off?"

She let out a shaky breath and laughed weakly, as he'd intended.

"Look," he raised his hands in surrender. "We can talk about what this means later. You came here to feel better. Let's focus on that for now, yeah?"

She looked like she was giving herself a mental talk and then she nodded and sat down again. He joined her. "We will talk about it," she promised.

"Yeah," he said.

They sat side-by-side in silence for a while, leaning back on their hands, legs touching. Jughead glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was biting her lip thoughtfully. He didn't know what was on her mind but he sure as hell knew exactly what he was trying not to think about.

"This is a really beautiful place, you know," she said eventually.

He considered her as she gazed at the lights shimmering on the water. She'd shared so much tonight. Maybe it was time he let her in a little further.

"I used to come here all the time as a kid," he confessed. He sensed her eyes lock onto his profile. "My…family and I lived at the trailer park then. It was always tough but...on the good days, my parents, my sister and I would come down here. Sit and talk."

"What's your sister's name?" asked Betty.

"Jellybean," he smiled slightly. "We called her JB."

"Justin Bieber. Bet she hates it now," Betty said.

Jughead swallowed the lump in his throat. "I wouldn't know. Dad drank. Mom couldn't take it. When I was ten and JB was five, Mom packed up and left with my sister. I haven't heard from them since. The Andrews' took me in."

" _Oh Juggie,"_  whispered Betty. She laid her head on his shoulder and he laid his on hers, shutting his eyes tightly. She knew now. It was terrifying that she did but Jughead trusted Betty. She was the first person he'd confided in in fourteen years.

"Remind me to bake a cake or a pie for Fred and Archie when I see them next," she said after a while and he laughed at the unexpectedness of the remark.

"Will do," he agreed.

Betty withdrew her head and faced him. "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?"

She nudged his boot with her sneaker.

"For being you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay before y'all come at me with pitchforks for interrupting the kiss, hear me out! Betty isn't sure of what Reggie is to her anymore but our girl is inherently loyal. She needs space to figure that out and refuses to lead Jughead on. Also, acting on her impulses, especially for her own benefit, is something she's not used to at all.
> 
> Writing the scene with Alice was really hard. On the bright side, my phone kept autocorrecting Jug Head to 'Big Head' so there's that.
> 
> This is also the longest Betty / Jug conversation I've written. Thoughts on it?
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A light one after the intensity of the last chapter. Read on!

Betty sat at her desk and wrote out a pro and con list. She went so far as to title it -  _The Pros and Cons of Dating Reggie Mantle._

She was aware that it was unnecessary and more than a little insane. But Betty was an organised soul who yearned for freedom but floundered in chaos and the previous day had been nothing if not chaotic. Lists brought order. Writing, in any form, made her feel in control of the narrative and after the rollercoaster that was last night, she  _needed_ control.

Her pro list read  _courteous, intelligent, conversationalist, has taken me to dances, concerts, etc._

All of those pros had adjoining cons that she didn't even have to think twice about.

Courteous, except around Jughead and others.

Intelligent but sly.

Conversationalist, able to manipulate a conversation to suit himself.

The dances and concerts had mattered to her but the frequency of those had decreased steadily over three years until they'd stopped altogether. She hadn't cared as such. Reggie had been a companion and she enjoyed the company of her friends a whole lot more.

Them and now Jughead.

Betty sat back in her chair and thought about him.

He'd dropped her home in the dead of the night and had kissed her forehead in what had seemed to be an impulse he'd given up on fighting. He'd also refused to take his jacket back because she'd started shivering without it.

Betty knew he cared about her; it was mutual. As the friendship had deepened, that had become clear to her and she'd embraced it. What she couldn't accept with open arms, however, was the thought that he  _maybe possibly liked her_ , had non-platonic feelings for her because that would mean she'd led him on without meaning to.

Betty tried valiantly to stamp out the butterflies that erupted in her stomach at the thought of him liking her, at the memory of the way he always regarded her with so much warmth and affection in his eyes. Last night, she'd seen desire too but the fact that that made her blush was  _wrong_  because she was with Reggie. She couldn't do that to Jughead; to herself.

When Betty had woken up this morning, using Jughead's jacket as a blanket because it smelled like him, she'd had a plan in mind.

 _Make a list._  
Talk to Reggie.  
Take a break from Reggie and figure out what you want in a relationship.

She was on step one and was so damn conflicted that she could already feel a headache building behind her right eye.

Her phone started ringing and she grabbed, grateful for the distraction.

"Mini Cooper!"

"Hey Kev," Betty closed her eyes, letting her old friend's voice wash over her.

"Tell me. How did you sleep?"

"Well enough, really. V told you and Cheryl, right?"

Kevin hummed, like he knew something she didn't.

"What?"

"V left not long after Mama Cooper dragged you upstairs. She said she saw a guy wearing a beanie, probably your boy, hanging around your side gate as she drove by. She didn't pull up because well…you know Smithers. He's a sweetheart but he gossips."

"That was Jughead. I called him after I spoke to Mom," Betty said.

Kevin whistled lowly. "And he came over like ten minutes later?"

Betty felt herself smile into the phone. "He did."

Kevin sighed. "I want to warn you again about what you're getting into but cat's already out of the bag now. Do you want to talk about Mama Cooper?"

"Jug helped me with that, Kev. But you should know that Mom still approves of you."

He sighed again, this time dramatically. "The closet is a dark, dark place. But it's not like my dating life would improve by coming out anyway."

Betty wedged her phone between her ear and shoulder and began pulling out clothes to wear to Reggie's. "There must be some nice gay men  _somewhere_  in our circles."

"There's one. Me."

Betty chortled at this typical Kevin response and seemingly bouyed by it, he announced, "Now that you're all giggly again, I have a plan."

"Yeah?" she asked, dumping a pair of jeans and a simple, albeit designer tshirt on her bed.

"Well not a plan as such but I figured it's time we officially meet Jughead and Archie. And by we I mean me because the girls have met him already and I'm feeling left out."

Betty bit her lip. "I'm not sure that's a great idea. For today anyway."

"Why not?"

She couldn't tell him about the almost-kiss and her ensuing inner turmoil. "Well because he must have gotten home really late last night and he needs his rest."

"Ask him anyway? I'm officially inviting him, Archie, you, V and C over to my apartment tonight for, I dunno, a movie or something. Bonding time. I'll even order pizza for dinner."

Betty's stomach growled at the promise of something cheesy and fattening. "Also, none of you are invited if the hot mechanics can't make it. Cool?"

Betty laughed. "Yeah okay."

"Lemme know!" said Kevin and hung up.

* * *

Betty power walked into the Mantle's living space and sat down to wait while the bulter went up to call Reggie. She'd called him once and he hadn't answered but she figured he'd be at home on a Saturday morning.

She observed the oriental carpet and beautiful paintings on the wall. Artistic, cultured, impersonal.

Reggie thundered down the stairs in jeans and a sweater and before Betty could so much as stand, he'd begun talking. "Hey I just saw your missed call, I was in the shower."

_Made sense._

"-and about yesterday, I didn't think your mom would react like that. I tried to talk to her after she came back downstairs, I swear. She said you weren't feeling well. Are you okay?"

Betty absorbed the onslaught and started where she'd mentally planned. "I'm fine. About day before yesterday, after the show, what about everything you said then? You've always been rude to Jughead."

"Is this about him or us?" asked Reggie. He sat down on the sofa and leaned towards her a little. She straightened her spine.

"It's about both. You think he's…beneath us. That's why you're rude to him, it's why you confronted  _me_ about hanging out with him. It's also why you let slip what you did at dinner."

"Betty c'mon," Reggie laughed. "I was just messing with Jughead when we met and I shouldn't have snapped at you. That was wrong. You can ask Veronica about what I said to your mom. She saw everything before she left."

Betty took a deep breath and went for the jugular. "How do I know that wasn't for show? That you meant to say everything you did."

Reggie stared at her for a moment, looking shocked. He opened his mouth, closed it, then tried again. "Betty, I-" He pulled himself together and looked her right in the eye.

"Look, I know I can be an arrogant ass sometimes. And over the course of three years, I stopped appreciating you. Took you for granted. So when I saw how friendly you were towards Jughead, I acted like a prat. I felt like I was losing you, Betty."

His hand tightened over hers and she stilled in shock.  _He felt - what?_

"You felt like you were losing me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" Reggie ran his free hand through his hair, looking agitated. "I saw the way you looked at him, with so much  _fondness_  which is fine, I mean of course you can have straight male friends, who am I to stop you?"

Betty gaped.

"But I also saw the heart eyes he was giving you-"

She suddenly couldn't breathe at all.

"-and I just lost it, I guess. I snapped and acted out of jealousy."

Reggie took both of her hands in his and looked at her earnestly. "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Betty tried to think of her cons list with Reggie's brown eyes on hers. He'd explained his rudeness to Jughead as jealousy. He'd also apologised for not treating her right, which she'd felt but not mentioned at all.

"I need to take a break, Reggie," she stammered out. "From us. To figure out what I want."

Reggie looked at her brokenly. Then he lifted her right hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "I'll wait for you, Betty."

* * *

Betty stumbled out of the Mantle manor and practically ran to her car. She slipped into the driver's seat and leaned back, mind spinning.

_What in the world had that been? That hadn't gone the way she'd planned at all. Reggie's remorse was completely unprompted. It seemed so…real._

She drove home in a daze.

* * *

Betty texted Jughead later in the day, asking if she could come over and hang around the garage and if he and Archie would be free in the evening. She'd pop Kevin's proposal to them in person.

He responded in affirmatives, though he said he couldn't keep her company while she waited but she didn't mind. His presence brought a certain clarity to her mind and plus, she did want to see him.

She set out for the garage late in the afternoon, armed with apple pie and a chapter from his novel to edit. She thanked her stars again that her mother was at a Spa Retreat the day after she'd ordered Betty to stay away from Jughead.

As Betty drove, she wondered about him. She'd waited to receive his 'reached home' text before she'd fallen asleep. The message had been neutral but she wondered how he'd slept and most importantly, how he  _felt_.

Was the heart eyes thing true? Did Jughead genuinely have well-developed feelings for her? Ones beyond that of a crush on a close friend? If he did, how had he felt when she'd pulled away from the kiss?

Betty felt herself blush  _again_  at the memory.

He didn't seem to resent it or her. On the contrary, he'd remained calm while she'd been useless and freaked out. He'd been her anchor.

Her mind slyly supplied her with flashbacks of Reggie's heartfelt apology again and Betty told herself to focus on the road.

She refused to be the girl who drove into a ditch because she was distracted by boy drama.

* * *

Jughead spotted Betty the minute she walked in. He swore he'd notice her from a mile away now even if she was dressed in rags.

He was so embarrassingly gone for her. His eyes fell to her hesitant smile, to her lips, as she approached and he was reminded again of the moment he hadn't been able to stop thinking about despite trying.

_They had almost kissed. Holy fuck._

"Hi Jug"

Jughead blinked, jerking back to the present. Betty's beautiful make up-free face was two feet from his and she looked nervous.

 _She's worried about how you're reacting to the almost moment,_  he realised. Yes, they'd agreed to talk about it later but Jughead wasn't willing to demand that conversation yet; not after the shit she'd been through only last night.

So he told himself he'd act as normally as possible and pretend the kiss had never happened until The Talk happened.

_Even if the non-kiss was officially his best memory._

So he smiled as normally as he could and tried to focus on anything besides the pink, fullness of her lips. Like the huge-ass pie she was carrying.

"Hey Cooper," he said, marvelling that she'd actually brought food the very next time she'd see the Andrews'.

Betty held the platter out to him and he took it gingerly, internally salivating at the aroma. "Home-made apple pie," she announced.

"You know you didn't have to right?" he asked.

She grinned and tugged him over to the nearest workbench. "I did have to because you're the only one adding some spice to my cook's life. Mary got to boss me around the kitchen as well as whip up something creative."

"You made this??" he asked incredulously.

She pulled a face. "I contributed. So if it tastes awful, you'll know that was me. Mary did the presentation part."

Jughead set the dish down and gave her a quick, one armed hug.  _Control, Jug._

"Thanks," he said. "I'm sure it tastes great. I've got to write a note to Mary too."

She laughed, easing up and he felt stupidly happy. "She'll want to be your personal chef-"

"Jug!" called Fred, rounding the corner. Jughead snatched his arm from around Betty's shoulders.

"Oh hi, Betty," said Fred. He turned to Jughead. "Get that oil change done. It's due in an hour. And what's this?" He added, eyeing the food.

"Betty made it," said Jughead.

"It's sort of a thank you for letting me hang around," Betty explained smoothly.

Fred broke a piece off with his mercifully clean hands and chewed, eyebrows raising. "You really didn't have to, kid but this is delicious," he said to Betty. He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "The way to a Jones man's heart is through his stomach anyway."

Jughead spluttered and Betty ducked her head but Fred merely threw Jughead a wink and walked off.

"So um," began Betty awkwardly. "You said you're free this evening, right?"

"Yeah," he said, glad she was ignoring the 'route to heart' comment.

"Kevin wants to meet you and Archie so all of us, including V and Cheryl, are invited to his place tonight for like a movie night. You in?"

_Meeting all the friends was the closest he'd ever get to meet-the-parents so why not?_

"Yeah, yeah, we're both in." Plus, he was really glad that she wasn't trying to avoid him, which he'd been afraid of.  _Had she spoken to Reggie, though?_

"Okay great!" said Betty more breathily than normal and wandered off, either to make herself comfortable or to find Archie. It was probably the latter. Betty had endeared herself to everyone at the garage; Vegas had taken a few running welcome leaps at her too.

Jughead realised that he was smiling like an idiot and plopped a piece of pie in his mouth instead.

_Damn. That was good._

* * *

Betty glanced up from her editing more times than she'd admit, watching Jughead work.

He'd handle tools and customers with equal ease, in spite of the 'I hate humans' vibe Archie had told her he had. She'd never really seen it though; he'd always been fine around her.

She did, however, find his easy camaraderie with Archie fascinating. They'd exchange quips and help each other out wordlessly in a way that spoke of years, if not decades, of close association. They decimated the pie between them (Jughead had brought her a plate of her own creation before they'd attacked it.), after which Archie pulled off his shirt.

For whatever reason, Jughead had thrown an uneasy look at her when Archie had started to flex his muscles in her peripheral vision. She'd waved back in response and he'd smiled.

She watched as Jughead slid underneath cars and emerged greasy, weirdly not feeling the least bit grossed out by all the grime. He always smelled good, so clearly, he had a sense of hygiene.

She looked down again and was met with the words of the guy in question, all quick witted and intense and brilliant.

Veronica words floated through her mind and Betty bit her lip, wondering if this was the kind of thinking she was supposed to be doing while on a break from Reggie.

She glanced up again in time to see Jughead strip down to his vest while his beanie stayed on, the lean muscles of his back and arms tensing.

Her eyes slid down further and she snapped herself out of it, quite certain that she had  _never_  caught herself staring at Reggie's ass.

* * *

Betty bit back a laugh as she watched Kevin blatantly brush Jughead's arm through his jacket  _again_  as he passed him.

Kev had greeted both Jughead and Archie enthusiastically when Betty arrived with them. He'd since pulled her aside twice, once to tell her that Jughead was a 'broody hunk' and a second time to lament the sexuality of both their male guests.

Veronica was warm and sharp as usual and Archie had become 'Archiekins' five minutes into their first conversation. Jughead had started talking to Cheryl after Betty had explained the whole hazing technique thing. She'd tried to play it off as nothing when she'd said the words  _because most people can't resist someone as sexy as Cheryl._

Jughead had looked at her very seriously and said, "That's a relief but she's not my type."

All in all, Betty thought that the night was shaping up to be fantastic.

"Okay people!" said Kevin, standing in the centre of the living room, hands on his hips. "There's pizza on the table, beer and a  _salad_  in my fridge." He threw a disgusted look at Cheryl at 'salad'. "We need a movie! I vote Mean Girls! "

"No! Anything Audrey Hepburn," said Veronica from the loveseat. Beside her, Cheryl merely shrugged.

Jughead sat forward on the couch beside Betty. "Do you have any Tarantino?"

Veronica protested immediately and Archie raised his voice. "Fast and Furious bro!" Veronica turned on him instead and Archie began to defend his action movie choices.

Betty's eyes moved, amused, from Jughead's equally amused face next to hers to Archie, V and Cheryl arguing to Kevin's aghast expression.

"Alright enough!" The host shouted. He turned to his DVD collection, muttering under his breath. He turned around, holding up  _Frozen_. "This is wholesome family fun. Betty, this okay?"

"Yeah you didn't suggest a movie," said Jughead.

Betty took in Archie's dubious expression and nodded anyway. "I vote yes."

Veronica settled back against Cheryl. "I trust B's choices. Unlike yours," she shot at Archie, who shook his head in mock exasperation from the floor.

Betty got comfortable with the blanket too while Kevin popped the disc in and came to sit on Jughead's other side.

"Good choice overall," said Jughead to Betty softly. Her eyes widened.

"You've watched  _Frozen_  before?" She asked in an incredulous whisper.

"I mean-" he fumbled. "Yeah. Recreationally. It's….cute." He looked at her shyly and Betty suddenly found Jughead Jones unbearably adorable. If she tried, she could picture him behind his laptop, watching the movie with his headphones in, overanalyzing Disney.

As the movie progressed, Betty noticed Jughead relaxing more, throwing his arms over the back of the couch once Kevin slid down to join Archie on the carpet. She watched his interactions with her friends, pleased at how well he gelled with them. Kevin and Veronica treated him as one of their own and Cheryl was Cheryl but Betty could tell she approved of him and Archie.

He stayed away from the alcohol, which made perfect sense given his past. He didn't seem uncomfortable around it though; declining Kevin's offer normally.

She also noted how he noticed  _her_. His focus, unlike hers, was mostly on the movie but he pulled her blanket up when it slipped off her legs, handed her his slice of pizza with a smirk when he caught her eyeing his pepperoni and urged her to eat more when she nibbled at it.

His hand landed on her knee at one point when he leaned across her to pass the water to Veronica. Betty reached out impulsively to hold his hand to her leg when he went to remove it and he kept it there.

After the movie, Kevin popped in  _Perks of Being a Wallflower_  with public consent, insisting on watching 'cool films that were made in this century.'

It was going on midnight and Betty was well fed, tired and happy, surrounded by some of her favourite people. Jughead's index finger was tracing patterns on her knee and he was warm beside her, shoulders and arms touching.

Halfway into the movie, Veronica and Cheryl untangled themselves from their blanket and each other, retiring to Kevin's guest bedroom for the night, V's hand dangerously low on Cheryl's back.

Betty stretched out on the couch sleepily and Jughead shifted over to accommodate her. Her side leant fully into him and he put an arm around her shoulders hesitantly.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

_He was soft and smelt nice and had biceps that made good pillows. Of course it was okay._

So Betty nodded and cuddled fully into his side under the blanket, no longer registering the images on the screen.

The last thing she remembered was finding the strong rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I'd give Bughead some peace before shit hits the fan. *wink*
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Oh yeah, you guys can also message me on tumblr at www.paralleldimension.tumblr.com , if you're so inclined to.


	8. Chapter 8

 

Jughead woke once during the night to the sound of muffled whispers. He was comfortable, the weight of a person resting against him, tangled with him. He registered that his hand was brushing bare skin and that the air smelt faintly flowery.

 _Betty_  , he thought, eyes still shut.

_This dream was better than his usual ones of her._

He drifted off again.

* * *

The first sensation that Betty registering was the warmth. It surrounded her like a furnace in the cold, touching her skin.

A second later, Betty's eyes snapped open. The heat touching her skin came from a hand pressed against her bare lower back, underneath the hem of her tshirt.  _Jughead's_  hand.

She'd fallen asleep on the couch and apparently he had too, ending with them cuddling together. She was on the open side of the couch, her leg between Jughead's, hands resting against his chest. She panicked for a second about falling before she realised that Jughead's arm was anchoring her to his chest. If he'd held on all night, no way would he let her fall now.

Even though he was still asleep.

Betty shifted her head back slightly and stared at Jughead's face in front of hers. He looked a whole lot less careworn in his sleep. The beanie had managed to stay on, making him look even more youthful.

Her eyes flitted across his features, his straight nose, strong jaw and bow shaped lips and she felt herself go warm all over.

" _He really was beautiful._ " she thought involuntarily.

She marvelled at the fact that she'd slept soundly and felt well rested despite spending the night on a couch. It made sense though, since Jughead was involved. There had never been a moment with him around during which Betty had been in any sort of discomfort. He saw to that.

And then, suddenly, she could picture her realisation floating in the air in front of her, clear as day.

_Betty liked him. A lot._

She gasped and jerked backwards, straight out of Jughead's hold and onto the floor. He jolted awake and Betty scrambled to her feet, straightening her clothes frantically.

"Betts?" He asked groggily.

"Good morning!" she squeaked reflexively, wincing at the unnatural high pitch of her voice.

He blinked at her in confusion and began to sit up so Betty backed into the coffee table, heart racing.

"I woke you, sorry! Veronica! Where - I'll find her. You can sleep!" she practically shrieked and ran from the room, leaving Jughead just beginning to call out her name in his husky morning voice.

_His very attractive husky morning voice._

Betty slapped herself mentally for that thought as she ran along the passage of Kevin's huge apartment. She turned the corner to the kitchen and collided with Kevin himself, who yelped and almost dropped his sandwich.

"Wha- you okay?" he asked incredulously.

Betty realised that she probably looked crazy, rushing about the place, being high pitched seconds after waking up. She gulped down a few calming breaths and nodded, still jittery as Kevin bit into his sandwich anyway, watching her curiously.

"I-" Betty began before it struck her that Jughead might have followed her. She grabbed Kevin's elbow and dragged him into his own bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

"Nobody slipped anything in your drink yesterday, did they?" he asked.

Betty shook her head and grabbed his forearms. "I think-" she swallowed.

He steered her to the bed and she dropped down on it. "That?" he prompted.

Betty covered her face with her hands.  _This was a mess._  "I think I like Jughead. Like…really like him."

She waited for a reply, eyes scrunched shut. After a beat, Kevin said thoughtfully, "I'd say the sky is blue but you're really freaking out over this, aren't you?"

Betty's eyes snapped open in shock. "You  _knew_  ?!"

Kevin took another bite and chewed casually. "I think everyone but you two did. Did you have any idea before?"

"I wasn't sure."

He whistled lowly. "What now?"

Betty felt disoriented all over again because she hadn't even  _begun_  thinking about  _what now._

Kevin set aside his food and squatted at her eye level. "It's not a bad thing," he said firmly. "Figure out what you do or don't want with Reggie and then speak to Jughead."

"But what-" There were gaping holes in his plan so she decided to tackle the most obvious one. "What if Jughead doesn't even want a relationship?"

"That boy wants  _you_  . In any form," said her friend and Betty felt hot all over again.

"Will it be right to jump from one relationship to another?" she whispered.

A knock sounded on the door and Kevin yanked Betty up. "Do what feels right," he advised just as the door swung open and Jughead's beanie clad head poked in.

"Hey…morning guys. Archie and I are heading out now; Fred'll be needing us. Thanks Kev. This was great," he said, making eye contact only with Kevin and sounding oddly flat.

"Juggie-" started Betty. His blue eyes snapped to her and she lost her train of thought. "You- uh, it was nice having you over."

He smiled briefly. "Nice, yeah. See you Betty."

He moved away from the doorframe and disappeared. Kevin pulled Betty back when she started after Jughead, confused. "Drive safe!" He called and then turned to Betty. "When you woke up this morning, all cuddled up, how did you react?"

Betty sighed as she figured out why Jughead was acting withdrawn. "I panicked and ran from the room after I realised I like him."

"Ah, young love," said Kevin dramatically. He ignored Betty's scowl and went on. "We've got to get ready for that social dinner thing tonight."

Betty nodded, thoughts immediately diverted. Kevin was referring to the dinner she'd gone to check out the venue for with Reggie and Jughead.

_Okay so maybe not that diverted._

* * *

Jughead was taking a break while Archie was off gallivanting with his cougar, when the sharp clacking of heels announced the unexpected arrival of one Veronica Lodge.

"Hey," he said, surprised.

Veronica surveyed the garage with a delicate hand on her pearls. "Hi. Is there a place for me to sit?"

Jughead glanced down at the perfectly good workbench he was leaning against (which Betty sat at too) and decided that Veronica was somewhat more elite.

"Fred's out so you can use the office chair," he said, leading the way. Veronica sat down with a flair and steeped her fingers underneath her chin.

"So" she said.

He sank down opposite her, feeling like he was in a job interview.

"So…?" He asked cautiously. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You really like Betty."

Jughead gaped but before he could respond, Veronica started talking again. "Which is good, great even since the guy she's been with for three years is a dick."

Jughead willed his blush to disappear and focused on the easier topic. "So you don't like Reggie either?"

Veronica's eyes sparkled. " _Either_  huh? Someone jealous?"

" _No_  ," he said vehemently. At Veronica's wry look, he sighed. "He doesn't treat her well. Betty doesn't deserve that. Whoever the guy is. " She nodded, silently egging him on.

Jughead rubbed his hands over his face in frustration, wondering when he'd started confiding in Veronica Lodge. "And yeah, I-" he shrugged. "Betty is-"

"You like her a lot," said the latina softly. He nodded miserably, recalling how Betty had pretty much bolted that morning after realising she'd spent the night in his arms. He shook his head to clear his mind. "Look no offence, but why are you here again?"

She relaxed her posture slightly, looking worried. "As you can tell, Reggie's never been a great boyfriend to Betty. But I've heard more and more rumours of late about him being a player."

Jughead frowned and Veronica clarifyed, "Rumours about him cheating on Betty."

" _What_?"

"The thing is, there's no concrete proof so even if I did tell Betty, she'd never believe me. She's too trusting," continued Veronica thoughtfully while Jughead was still digesting the idea that someone, even a loser like Reggie would  _ever_  consider cheating on a girl like Elizabeth Cooper.

"What does she want? Regarding Reggie? She said she'd talk to him after the family dinner," he asked finally.

"She told him she wanted a break but if you ask me, I think she's done."

"Good. I hope she does it soon. " said Jughead, slightly relieved. Veronica rose, walked around the desk and hopped up on it lightly. "What about you?" She asked.

"What about me?" he replied, confused.

She leaned forward slightly. "Will you be waiting in the wings to swoop in as soon as she's single?"

The accusation rankled. He'd want Betty to be okay first. He cared about her well being more than he did about his feelings for her. Betty could choose to never be with him but he'd still be there for her, as her friend, simply because that was how important she was to him.

"I'm not doing any swooping," he said, feeling slightly idiotic as the words came out. "I'll always be there as her friend," he amended. "And you're asking this assuming she's interested in me."

He tried to tell himself that she wasn't because that thought was more realistic and less likely to hurt him. He ignored the part of his brain that supplied him with the memory of Betty at the riverbank, blurting out that she'd  _wanted_  to kiss him.

_Maybe she'd just been overly emotional at the time?_

Veronica gave him a pitying look that he couldn't decipher. "I don't know what you two are to each other but you're good together. As friends, whatever," she said. "And as long as you're good to my sister, you can count on me and Cheryl too. If you need us."

Jughead was sufficiently taken aback and touched to not know what to say but Veronica wrinkled her nose and kept talking. "And you can count on Kevin too since you're a fairly attractive young male and that wins brownie points with him."

"Uh, thanks," said Jughead awkwardly, scratching his neck. "I don't know about the Kevin bit but this...it means a lot."

"Oh please," said Veronica airily, hopping down from the desk, audience clearly over. She began to walk out briskly and he led her to the exit. "Why do you think Kevin bought that apartment even though he technically lives in the family mansion?"

"More-than-friendly hangouts," said Jughead, getting it now. He'd wondered too. "And hey, Veronica."

She paused at the exit and looked at him questioningly. "Thanks."

She smiled. "I hope Betty kicks Reggie to the curb the next time she sees him."

She slipped into her limo and Jughead went back in, agreeing wholeheartedly.

_What kind of pathetic man cheated on a woman? Betty definitely deserved more but did she want him, Jughead, to be that for her?_

* * *

Betty slipped her phone into her clutch as she entered the Tipton behind her parents, wishing she could have pulled a Polly and missed the event altogether. Being pregnant had some perks.

She thought back to the text she'd sent Reggie before leaving, which simply read - **I need to speak to you in person after the dinner today**. 

He'd replied promptly.  _Of course. Can't wait to see you._

That made Betty feel guilty because of why she wanted to see him. It wouldn't be a romantic meeting. She meant to end it with him, politely and probably for him, painlessly. She wasn't sure what to make of his newfound niceness but she'd decided to stick to her guns.

She straightened her back, feeling her mother's critical eyes on her and kept a lookout for her friends as she greeted a distant uncle, a businessman with an out-of-place curled moustache she knew Jughead would  _love_  to comment on.

She smiled to herself and spotted Veronica right after, looking at someone else, her face stony. Betty followed V's gaze to Reggie, who was whispering into Melody Valentine's ear with a hand on her shoulder.

As Betty watched, Mel giggled and Reggie smirked. Before she could figure that out, her soon-to-be-ex boyfriend looked up, noticed Betty and hurried towards her.

"Betty!" he said warmly as he approached her. He disregarded her wooden smile and swept her up in a hug.

 _He's never done this before,_  thought Betty, patting his back awkwardly. Over his shoulder, she noticed Mel duck her head and leave and remembered how she'd been the one Reggie had texted on the day of Betty's ballet show.

 _Interesting_.

Reggie released her and produced a red rose from within his jacket, which he tucked into her hair with style. Betty noticed an elderly couple next to them 'aww'. She saw other admiring gazes too, fixated on Reggie and suddenly, she couldn't bear another second of being  _his_.

She grabbed his arm, stopping him mid speech and turned to find some semblance of privacy so that she could  _talk to him-_

"Elizabeth!"

Reggie twisted his arm free and wrapped it around her waist, yanking her suffocatingly close as Mrs. Mantle emerged from the crowd, Mr. Mantle close behind.

_Damn it._

"Good evening, ma'am," said Betty sweetly, her breeding kicking in.

Mrs. Mantle air - kissed Betty and then took the girl's hands in her own, freshly manicured ones. "It's  _lovely_ to see you, dear. There'll be no need for ma'ams soon!" she said, faux affection.

_Betty sure hoped not. If Reggie was out of her life, the Mantles would be too._

She smiled at Mr. Mantle too, who shook her hand gruffly and told her she looked pretty, like an 'English rose'.

She thanked him, complimented Mrs. Mantle's gown and allowed her mind to drift as the chatter became completely aimless.

_The decorations had been put up properly. Thank God for that. Alice would have killed her if they'd been messed up._

"Polly is feeling fine, thank you. She's just tired."

_Her parents, as the family to organise this particular dinner, were playing host in a corner._

"Yes, I've heard that Mrs. Keller's diamond necklace is worth a million. She keeps it at home; it's beautiful!"

_Kevin was mingling too, looking much more mentally present than she was._

"My mother arranged for all the floral decor but thank you."

_This was dreary. She missed Jughead and his ready wit._

* * *

After way too long, Betty sat down to dinner near the head of the table with her parents, Reggie and his family beside her, Kevin and the Kellers across from her.

The live band was playing her music selection in the alcove Jughead had suggested and overall, that livened her up.

The spread was  _delicious_  but Betty ate like a bird because it was expected of her, throwing reproachful glances at Kevin when he took seconds with gusto, knowing V and Cheryl were in the same boat as her.

The conversation was brisk and effortless since it was either about work or money and in Betty's experience, all those discussions tended to streamline after a while.

She'd all but zoned out, fully focused on her baked Alaska, when her father stood up to propose a toast to the continued friendship between their families or some such rubbish.

Beside her, Reggie stood up unexpectedly. Betty exchanged a puzzled glance with Kevin and watched as Reggie addressed her father.

"In the spirit of cementing that friendship and with a great deal of love and passion-"

Alice Cooper smiled widely as Reggie pushed out his chair and dropped to one knee, facing Betty. She stared at the small velvet box in his hands.

He flipped it open. A diamond ring gleamed inside.

Betty stood hurriedly, almost knocking her chair over in her blind panic.

"Elizabeth Cooper, my love, will you marry me?"

Betty gasped, horrified while the entire table erupted in cheers, drowning her out.

"Wha- Reggie,  _no_  -" But someone had their arm around her shoulders now as Reggie grabbed her arm, uncurled her fist and slid the ring on, smiling charmingly.

She went to yank it off but someone else grabbed her hand, marvelling at the beauty of the ring. Bodies surrounded Betty and she could no longer see Reggie with random hands grabbing her shoulders and hand, random faces telling her that they were proud, that she'd chosen a good man, that she'd want for nothing now.

_Except she hadn't chosen._

"Reggie!" she breathed, fighting for space. An aunt near her heard and lit up.

"She can't bear to be separated from her sweetheart, bless her!"

"No, that's not why I-" The crowd parted magically and then Reggie was next to her, directing her by the jaw to a camera in their faces.

Just before the flash went off, Betty spotted Veronica and Cheryl on the other side of the table, their stunned faces mirroring her own feelings.

* * *

Betty checked and rechecked her most recent messages to Jughead, not because she didn't already know their short exchange by heart but because it reassured her.

_Hey Juggie. Sorry to bother you but do you think you could come over?_

_I'll be right there Betts. Phone meanwhile?_

_No, no, drive. Let yourself into my bedroom. The window's open. I'm on my way._

_Okay._

Betty had excused herself and stumbled into the bathroom at the dinner, the rock on her hand creating a pit of dread in her stomach.

Moments later, Cheryl, V and Kevin had all rushed in, complete with a plan to get Betty out of there.

Betty had started ranting along the lines of ' _how could he'_  and Kevin had decided to abuse Reggie in superlatives to lend comfort.

Veronica and Cheryl had explained calmly that they'd go out and say that she, Betty, couldn't wait to share the news with Polly so she'd rushed home.

Betty had wanted to go back out and yell at Reggie but even she knew that wasn't practical, not with the  _who's who_  of their town present.

So she'd gotten into V's limo and was currently on her way home, Smithers shooting concerned glances at her enraged face in the rearview mirror.

Betty had yanked the ring off at the first chance she'd gotten too.

All through, she'd had the name of one person in mind, the one she wanted to see most even though her friends were incredible, the one whose face flashed in her mind every time she thought of a safe haven.

_Just how long had she liked Jughead without realising it?_

Betty could remember feeling less than thrilled when Valerie had started hanging around the garage more, befriending Jughead. She'd  _definitely_  minded Cheryl's advances, fake as she knew them to be.

Jughead was the kind of guy, the kind of  _man_  who'd do anything for the people he cared about. She'd seen that; he was doing it for her as she travelled home. He was gentle too, innately so,despite his profession. There was a tenderness to the way he held her even when he was impassioned about something.

He was everything a girl would want, everything a boyfriend should be. Not perfect but Betty didn't want perfect. Heck, she'd willingly stayed with Reggie for years. She didn't think she deserved perfect.

The thought of Reggie brought her back to reality. She wasn't engaged; she refused to think that. But she did have a ring that all the society families had apparently heard her say yes to.

Betty rubbed her forehead and leaned back against the seat, feeling herself beginning to get agitated again.

_She was trapped. How the hell would she get herself out of this situation?_

"Miss?"

Betty broke out of her thoughts and realised that she was home.

"Thank you, Smithers," She smiled at the elderly chauffeur and started to slip out when he leaned forward.

"Miss Elizabeth?"

"Yes?"

He looked at her kindly in the rearview mirror. "Over the years, I've found that there's very little that can't be made better by a cup of hot tea and the arms of someone we love."

Betty nodded, struck dumb by the last part and Smithers tipped his cap at her before driving off.

_The arms of someone she loved._

Betty shook herself. She'd get to the L word part later. She'd only just figured out that she really really liked him. And he was here, waiting for her.

Betty turned and speed-walked into her house, fully aware that right now, Jughead's presence within those walls were what was making her think of the place with such warmth.

* * *

Jughead was sitting at the edge of Betty's bed, playing with his phone when the protagonist of his thoughts burst in, looking spectacular in some kind of deep maroon cocktail dress.

Also looking, he realised as he rose and took her in, decidedly  _anxious_  .

"Hey," he said and Betty smiled briefly before walking right into his arms, hugging him tightly.

He responded on reflex, curling one arm behind her back while the other rested on her exposed shoulder.

"What happened?" He asked softly.

She drew back and took a deep breath. He was relieved to see that her make up was still intact.  _At least she hadn't been crying._

"Our family dinners are shit," she said without preamble.

Jughead chuckled lightly. "I'm ruining your language."

Betty shook her head and then froze in his arms at the sound of a door slamming downstairs.

"Oh no," she muttered, rushing out of her bedroom, Jughead behind her.  _"No"_

They leant over the banister together to see Alice Cooper march into view, headed, clearly, for Betty's room.

Jughead swore and then Betty was dragging him backwards into her bedroom and shoving him into some kind of adjoined room.

"Stay here," she whispered and then he was alone in the dark before he could tell her that it'd be okay, that whatever Alice looked so purposeful about, they'd deal with it together.

He'd just finished determining that the place he was in was in fact a colossal walk in closet when he heard the sharp sound of Alice's heels and Betty's innocent, if somewhat breathless,  _"Mom?"_

Jughead pressed his ear to the door.

"What did Polly say dear? You fairly rushed out of there to tell her the good news."

_What good news?_

He heard rustling as someone sat down and then Betty said ,"She's asleep."

Alice hm'ed and said, "It really is beautiful. You'll be very happy."

_What was 'it'?_

"Mom," said Betty, her voice shaking slightly. "Everyone started cheering before I could get a word out. I didn't-"

"Imagine that we'd share in your happiness?" laughed Alice and Jughead desperately wanted her to stop talking so Betty could complete her sentence; so that he could know what the hell this was about.

"No," said Betty awkwardly. "It's not that."

"An April wedding would be perfect, wouldn't it?"

_A…what? Betty wasn't- she wouldn't-_

"Mom!" said Betty, sounding panicked now.

"It'll be beautiful," continued Alice softly. "Well, now."  
He heard her clap her hands together and walk to the door. He leaned forward further.

"You can tell Polly tomorrow. Sleep now. And remember, agreeing to marry Reginald is the best decision you've ever made."

Jughead jerked away from the door.

_Betty…was engaged. To Reggie. The girl he…loved…was engaged to an asshole of a guy._

The door closed and the muted sound rung in Jughead's ears.

He felt like he couldn't breathe, like Betty herself had kicked him in the chest.

_But she wouldn't._

The door opened and Betty's face appeared. She was biting her lip. His eyes followed the action numbly.

Her hands came up and framed his face and the buzzing in his head cleared somewhat.

"I'm so sorry you had to hear about it like that Jug," she was saying. "It's not what it sounds like."

He heard himself laugh hollowly. "You're not engaged?"

She hesitated for a split second before shaking her head, surprising him. "I'm not engaged," she told him. "I was going to end it with Reggie today-"

His heart stuttered.

"-but he asked with everyone present and they started cheering and surrounded us before I could even say no."

She laughed disbelievingly too and he pinched the bridge of his nose with his Betty-free hand, wondering how  _the fuck_  that had happened. A thought struck him and he pulled her left hand away from his face.

A diamond ring, the kind he could never afford, was glinting on her ring finger, claiming her.

"I put it on before Mom entered," she muttered apologetically.

His mind was swirling with questions so he started with the basics. "So you don't want to be engaged?"

Betty yanked off the ring and tossed a million dollars on her carpet.

_Okay then._

"And you don't want to be with Reggie anymore either but you didn't get to say it. So…in your mind… are you engaged to him?"

Her bare hands settled on his chest. "No, I'm not. I'm not his in any way. Not that he knows it."

Jughead pulled her close and hugged her tightly, unable to help himself.  _Thank fucking God._

Betty laughed weakly and ran her hands across his back.

"Sorry," he mumbled into the golden hair curling at her neck. "I just- the thought of losing you to  _him_ was-"

"I'm not his," repeated Betty. "Not even his girlfriend anymore."

"Best decision you've ever made," he said.

Betty chuckled and shifted, forcing him to raise his face from her neck. "There's actually something else I wanted to say. It's why I called you here."

He loosened his grip on her and stepped back slightly, sensing a change in her tone.

"Yeah?"

Betty wrung her hands together nervously. "Okay so-" She swallowed and rushed on. "I don't know if this is too soon or whatever but you need to know. I  _want_ you to know."

"Okay.." he said apprehensively.

"You remember how I fell off the couch this morning?" She asked unexpectedly.

"Yes."

"Right so I didn't mean to but I panicked because I realised something and didn't know how to handle it."

"That you wanted to break up with Reggie?" He guessed, trying to make her work easier.  _What was she on about?_

"No, no," she said dismissively. "About you."

He placed his hands over hers, stilling the nervous motions. "Betts, just tell me. What is it?" He asked.

"Ikindofreallylikeyou," she said in a rush and Jughead's heart stopped. "I don't know when it started, I just realised it today but I already feel like I'm in so deep and you don't have to say  _anything_  -"

"Betty," he interrupted, hardly trusting himself to speak. His hands tightened over hers. "Are you saying that you might…have feelings…for  _me_?"

She blushed scarlet and Jughead felt a rush of pride mixed with incredulity. "I am, yeah," she whispered.

_Betty liked him. He couldn't believe it but he definitely wasn't questioning it._

Jughead's eyes dropped to her lips, inches from his once again. "Betty," he whispered. Her green eyes flicked down to his mouth too. "Can I kiss you?"

She nodded and then Jughead Jones, famed loner, cupped Betty's face in his hands and kissed her.

She surged up to meet him and he felt both of their breaths hitch because,  _holy fuck_ , it felt amazing. Betty pulled back and kissed him again, fisting his jacket even as he moved a hand from her face to her waist, hauling her closer, still closer.

He felt her tongue swipe across his lips and he parted his own, following her lead. Her tongue tangled with his, her hands in his hair, knocking his beanie to the floor.

Jughead slanted his lips over Betty's impossibly soft ones again, revelling in the feel of her, her scent, her touch, her taste.

She pulled back eventually, gasping for breath but Jughead chased her lips with his own, kissing her hard again.

 _He'd forgotten to tell her something important,_  he realised.

"By the way," he panted as Betty looked up at him, pupils blown and lips red. "I really really fucking like you too, Betty. Always have."

"You- really?" She asked, trying to catch her breath as he peppered kisses along the line of her jaw.

"Mhmm"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He tore his gaze away from the smooth expanse of her neck to focus on her eyes.

"Valued you too much. Respected your relationship, too."

Betty placed both palms on his cheeks, making him look at her.

"Jughead Jones," she said softly. "You're an incredible man."

"You're pretty incredible yourself, Betty Cooper," he whispered back and she smiled.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One and a half months later, new chapter. I'm so sorry about the wait guys but the workload has been insane. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you all liked this one! Thoughts / predictions? Lemme know!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

Jughead woke up in heaven. The early morning light filtering through the curtains was golden, as was the girl in his arms, her skin and hair catching the sunlight.

The visual reminded him of his very first impression of her outside the garage. Even though she'd been drenched, she'd been just as radiant.

He burrowed into the back of her neck and closed his eyes again, determined to enjoy the dream while it lasted.

* * *

For the second day in a row, Betty awoke feeling deliciously warm. Another, heavier body -  _Jughead, she thought fondly_  - was spooning her from behind , his breath releasing in small puffs against the nape of her neck.

She stretched as best as she could without waking him, flashing back to the evening before. They'd kissed and talked well into the night. Well, mostly kissed.

The talking had happened in between; Jughead mumbling against her lips that he'd wanted to do this for a long time, his breath catching audibly when she'd emerged from her closet, dressed in an oversized t-shirt and sleep shorts. His hand on her bare leg later, rubbing softly and politely as his free hand cupped her face and he told her that she was  _so so beautiful Betts._  Jughead, kissing her goodnight softly once she started dozing off after asking him to stay.

Betty blushed at the memory of the intensity of his kisses; at the way he'd switched effortlessly between hard and soft, desperate and tender. And suddenly, she found herself wondering how he'd learned to kiss like that.

_He'd never mentioned having a girlfriend. Where did the experience come from?_

She was aware that it was a little hypocritical since she was the one with relationship baggage, the one who was sort of engaged to another man.

_But had Jughead ever been with someone else before?_

His breathing pattern changed against her neck and she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind.

Today wasn't the day for that. Today, she planned on talking to Reggie and throwing his stupid ring back in his face.

"Need a kiss to get rid of that frown?"

Betty felt said frown melt away at the sound of Jughead's deep, sleep riddled voice as she rolled over to face him.

"I certainly wouldn't mind it," she said cheekily and he chuckled before his lips landed on hers softly.

Betty closed her eyes, his hand coming up to her cheek, thumb stroking her cheekbone.

"But for real, though," he said, pulling away slowly. "That frown. Reggie."

Betty buried her head in his chest with a groan. Jughead ran his hand through her messy hair comfortingly until she emerged.

"I'll go talk to him," she offered.

Jughead made a noise of dissent and rolled onto his back. Betty propped herself up on her front beside him, realising that Reggie bloody Mantle would ruin their morning with necessary strategizing.

"What did he say when you spoke to him about the break?"

Betty shrugged, still not knowing what to make of it. "He said he saw us getting closer and acted out because he felt like he was losing me."

Jughead's eyebrows rose. "What did you say?"

"I insisted on the break but everything he said was so…unexpected."

"He's a craftier person than I'd have thought. He knew he'd make you think," said Jughead harshly.

"Jug," said Betty, slightly surprised at the anger in his tone.

He relaxed marginally. "Sorry just…can I ask you a question about him?"

"Shoot."

He hesitated before asking carefully, "Did you ever get the feeling that Reggie had a wandering eye?"

"Not until recently," said Betty honestly.

Jughead propped himself up on his elbow and looked at her weirdly. "Not that I should be complaining but how are you taking this so casually?"

She shrugged. "It's not so bad once you realise you don't love them."

"It's still wrong. It's not what you, what  _anyone_ deserves."

Betty smiled and Jughead continued.

"You can talk to him directly but I doubt it'll be that easy," he said. "I'll come with you."

_Wait what?_

"Jug, you don't have to. I'll go alone, it's fine."

To her surprise, he glanced down and said, "I don't want you to face this mess alone. I mean, I never did but you're my- we're- we're together now...right?"

His uncertain eyes met hers and Betty suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to address the soft, shy warmth in his eyes, the comfort of waking up next to him, to discuss  _them_.

"We are," she said instead, moving closer. "And this thing with Reggie…it's my fake engagement. You're not a part of this madhouse but neither are you letting me face it alone. You're here."

Jughead shifted closer too. "Is that enough?" he asked lowly.

_Enough with the Reggie talk._

"It's everything to me," Betty said, zeroing in on his lips.

Jughead didn't protest, kissing her back tenderly and there was no more talking until Betty realised she was almost late for breakfast and made a run for it.

Later, as she made excuses for not having worn her rock to breakfast  _(What kind of expectation was that, anyway?)_  she clung to that last image of Jughead at her window, when they'd decided that once Reggie was out of the picture, they'd talk about it. About  _them._

* * *

Betty waited in Reggie's outhouse impatiently, willing him to hurry up. She'd asked him to meet her there since she refused to enter the house and listen to congratulations for an engagement she intended to end.

She was well aware that the entire Mantle household, if they'd heard, would think of the meeting as a romantic sojourn but well, that couldn't be helped.

_Win some, lose some,_  she thought philosophically as she finally saw Reggie approach, all smiles.

He didn't, however, attempt to kiss or hug her and a cold part of her mind informed her that it was because there was nobody around. Nobody to impress.

He leant against the carved pillar and jerked his chin at the ring she held. "Pretty sweet huh? It's Tiffany's. Why aren't you wearing it?"

"Because I never said yes to it," replied Betty blandly.

His brow furrowed and he looked like he was trying to recollect the exact moment. "You didn't? Oh…yes. That's right."

Betty exhaled.

"But you wouldn't have said no, would you?" He asked innocently.

_What in the world-_

"Reggie, we were on a break!" she said exasperatedly. "What part of 'leave me alone' do you not understand?"

"Betty, to be fair, you didn't say we weren't together any more. We've been a couple so long that I figured this was just a hiccup," he said reasonably.

_Jughead had warned her. This was Reggie smooth talking._

"'On a break' means a person wants to reevaluate if it's even worth it to be in the relationship! How did you go from that to a proposal?!"

"Hey whoa, calm down," Reggie approached her with open palms. "Your mom thought it was a good idea, despite the break."

"She-" Betty choked on air. "Mom  _knew_?"

Reggie made himself comfortable, lounging on the wooden seat before replying. "She gave me specifics for the ring and suggested that I do it at dinner so yeah-" He met Betty's eyes, casually chewing gum. "-I'd say she knew."

Betty fell silent, reeling.  _Really_  , she thought bitterly,  _she should be used to it by now._

Reggie was speaking to her consolingly now, like she was a child.

"What's the worst case scenario in this? You continue to live the life you always have, just under a different name and in a different house."

_Everything's wrong with that._

"That's not what a marriage is, Reggie. That's not where I'd look for happiness in life," she said stiffly, fist clenched around the ring.

"Ouch," he said, raising a hand to his heart. "I'd give you everything Betty. Fancy cars, clothes, you name it. What else would you need anyway?"

That hurt. The implication that she was just another socialite who was 'feminine' and nothing else; that she was a blonde bimbo, really hurt.

A second later, she brought herself up short mentally because she realised exactly what Reggie was up to. Debating the pros and cons of marriage to him wasn't the plan. There  _would_  be no marriage.

"I'd need a lot of things you wouldn't understand, Reggie," she found herself snapping instead. "We aren't getting married."

"Betty," he said firmly, suddenly losing his casual attitude. "You have the ring and everyone witnessed the engagement. I don't know why you're taking this out on me, I went and asked your mother for permission and everything. Traditional."

She opened her mouth to retort but Reggie stood up and talked over her, like something she'd said had set him off. "And do you know who goes to all that trouble? Someone who cares. Someone who fucking  _loves_  you enough to face Alice Cooper."

Looking back, Betty would remember that moment as the exact instant when it dawned on her that Reginald Mantle was a silver tongued pathological liar on excellent terms with her own mother, the Queen of fabricated facades.

The manipulation was a pattern, one she had to break free of for the sake of her own sanity. This, possibly, was Betty's Veronica moment.

However, change didn't begin right then. As she stood thinking, Reggie grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her hard.

Betty froze. A second later, his unwelcome touch disappeared and Betty opened her eyes to find herself alone, the stinging of her palms the only reminder that Reggie had been there.

* * *

"About time you came to talk to me," Polly grumbled.

Betty watched silently as her sister squirmed on the cushions, trying in vain to find a comfortable spot.

"I didn't want to bother you," she said.

"I know you didn't, Betty. But that doesn't mean I have to find out about your life from the Mary." At Betty's quizzical look, Polly added, "Midnight food cravings."

Betty stretched out on her back next to her heavily pregnant sister. "I just figured I'd save you the drama."

Polly shifted onto her side. "I've been dying for some gossip, Lizzie. Tell all."

So Betty did. She poured out everything about Jughead and how incredible he was and Reggie and how despicable  _he_  was. She didn't use adjectives to describe their mother; that betrayal cut deep but she did talk about Alice's involvement in as detached a manner as she could.

When she was done, Polly pushed herself to her feet, waddled over to her dresser and tossed a bag of chocolates onto Betty's stomach.  _Choco therapy_  , she called it.

Betty sighed and sat up, accepting the rare treat.

"So you can't talk to Mom about how you don't want this," said Polly, checking options off her fingers. "Or Dad."

"He's never home, anyway," mumbled Betty around her mouthful.

Polly screwed up her face in thought. "There's nothing about the Mantle  _family_  per se that would make our parents turn away."

Betty snorted. "Quite the opposite, in fact. I've been thinking of strategic ways out too."

"And?"

"And nothing," she said despondently. "It's a true Gordian knot."

Polly shot her an amused look. "First of all, chin up and secondly, since when do you talk like that?"

Betty laughed to herself. "I don't, as a rule. Jug does."

Polly noted the soft smile on her sisters face. "How serious is it with him?"

_That question had so many connotations,_  Betty thought.

Did he want to be her boyfriend properly? Did he want to be seen with her in public, thus becoming part of the family circus?

How serious was he? How serious was  _she_  ?

"I don't know," she confessed finally. "I know I want it to be."

"Haven't talked about it, huh?" asked Polly.

Betty let out a long, slow breath. "We will but…what if my world is too messed up for him? I know he cares and I do too but-"

"Yeah?"

"There's more about this that scares me, Pol," confessed Betty. "I've never felt this strongly for someone before and I've known him for so short a time and I was with Reggie for three whole years and I felt  _nothing_  remotely like this then."

"What does your heart say, Betty?"

"To shut up and go with it."

Polly sat back with a satisfied air. "I know this is cliched advice and all but listen to your heart. There's no such thing as too soon when it's with the right person."

"That's what Kev said," said Betty.

"Alright listen," said Polly. Betty looked over to see her sister looking determined. "What?"

"You remember how I've said I don't know the name of the father of my kids?"

"Yes," said Betty, surprised by the turn in conversation.

"I lied."

"Polly, wha-" exclaimed Betty.

"I know exactly who he is. His name's Jason. During our very first meeting, he said he'd be moving abroad soon. A permanent job transfer."

Betty could guess where this was headed. She listened, her heart already beginning to ache for Polly.

"There was an expiration date on our relationship from the beginning. We still jumped into it headfirst. It was a six month relationship that we  _knew_  would lead nowhere but it was everything to me."

Betty reached out impulsively and grabbed Polly's hand.

She continued,"I found out I was pregnant after he left. I tried to get a hold of him but couldn't. We'd decided not to stay in touch anyway. In the end, I decided that it had all been worth it and I'd always have a piece- well, two- of him with me."

"I don't know what to say," whispered Betty. "You're so strong, Pol and I'm so so sorry I wasn't there for you through any of this."

Polly squeezed Betty's hand back and swallowed hard. "I didn't say it to gain sympathy," she said pointedly. "The moral of this story is that when you know, you just do. The variables don't have to add up. If it feels right with Jughead, don't let him go."

Betty nodded slowly, absorbing the words.  _It felt right. Natural. It always had._

_She just had to let the insecurities fall away._

She did, however, have a new perspective on things thanks to Polly. Her own situation was complicated but it paled in comparison to that of her sister.

As if they were on the same wavelength, Polly heaved herself off the bed and started walking off.

"Your life could be worse you know," she called over her shoulder. "You could have twins playing soccer with your bladder!"

* * *

Jughead had flopped down facefirst on his bed after his work day ended, bones weary. Fred had been irate all day. Vegas had taken an instant and loud dislike to one of their customers, who had had to be pacified later and guess on whose shoulders that task had fallen.

_Jughead's_

He wasn't good at that shit. He didn't do  _comforting people._  He wasn't the one with the 'come tell me your troubles' aura about him. That was Betty.

Jughead's mind drifted to his beautiful, kind…something. She'd texted to let him know that talking to Reggie had proved futile and they'd both drawn a blank on alternative methods. He hadn't heard from her since.

"Hey man," said a deep voice somewhere above Jughead.

"Go away, Arch," he groaned into his pillow.

He heard Archie chuckle and then a melodious voice asked, "Does that include me too?"

He rolled over, the voice unexpected but welcome. He reached for his beanie for an instant before thinking  _fuck it._  It was only Betty.

Archie left as he sat up, watching Betty take in his room. All of a sudden, he was acutely aware of how small and cramped it was. He wasn't messy as such but there was some clutter and he did have nerdy film posters up on his walls.

Betty simply gestured to one of the said posters. "I wanted that exact one as a kid."

Jughead relaxed and scooched over to make space for her. "Cutest blonde baby around, right?"

She tucked a knee underneath herself and turned to face him, like she meant to Talk. "I kind of wanted to ask you what you, um-" she cleared her throat nervously "-wanted with the cute blonde baby."

" _What?_ " he exclaimed incredulously, a laugh bubbling up inside him while she cringed almost instantly.

"Sorry, I meant-"  _Betty was blushing._  "What you wanted with, I mean-"

"With you?" he finished gently.

She nodded, her small hand intertwining with his.

_This was it. The Talk._

"Everything," he said honestly. "You should know that I've never done this before with anyone but…I want it all with you."

She bit her lip in an effort to keep her grin from breaking out. She looked beautiful doing it.

"What about you?" he prompted. "What do you want with a mechanic?"

Betty fired up instantly, like she was ready to punch his lights out for saying that. "Don't say that like that's all you are! My world isn't a bed of roses either! What about all the messed up stuff going on in my life right now?"

His heart felt impossibly warm as he leaned over and kissed Betty quickly. "I'd be dating you, not your family. Sure, I'd meet them but you've already told me about how insane things can get and well…I wouldn't leave."

She arched an eyebrow at him playfully. "We're at  _meet the parents_  already, are we?"

_Shit. Did that make him sound like a creep. He was a creep._

Jughead rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and started to clarify but Betty laughed and then proceeded to straddle his lap, effectively shutting down his brain.

"The way I see it-" she began, fingers toying with the strands at the nape of his neck "-we either put a hold on us until the Reggie situation is resolved or we keep trying on that front but go full steam ahead with us."

Jughead tightened his grip on Betty's hips so that she slid closer. "You'd make a great military strategist," he told her. "Full steam ahead please."

Betty smiled at him, positively glowing and he tilted his head up and kissed her soundly, secure in the knowledge that she was _finally_ his.

Later in the night, when he was on the verge of drifting off and Betty's breathing had evened out with her head on his chest, he wondered how soon was too soon in terms of telling Betty Cooper that what he felt for her was love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An overdue Polly/Betty interaction with revelations! Reggie continues to be an asshole but Bughead is now official in this universe.
> 
> How did you like the characters' interactions? Your reviews and kudos mean so much to me. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Jughead rolled over in bed, reaching for Betty sleepily. His arm broke through the air and landed on the bed without encountering his now-definitely girlfriend.

Jughead woke with a start. Her side of the bed was still warm, she'd have just gotten up. He swung his legs out of bed reluctantly, realising that it was probably 5 in the morning.

 _Betty's bag was still on his armchair._  Even half conscious, Jughead knew he appreciated the domesticity of it.

As he neared the top of the staircase, Betty's voice floated up to him, sounding slightly high pitched - the way she spoke when she was feeling awkward or nervous. He descended the steps two at a time, alert now.

As he leapt down the last few stairs, his chest fairly collided with Betty's back as she stood speaking to a very tousled woman, who, upon closer inspection, turned out to be the elusive Geraldine Grundy.

Elusive in that she had never tried to meet Archie's folk, never visited when Fred was around and apparently, had only a slim idea of who Jughead was.

She seemed to be rushing out, her hair a rat's nest, her heels, bag and phone in hand. She looked very much like she'd dressed in a hurry, since her, or probably Archie's shirt was barely buttoned, her hot pink bra and cleavage on full display.

"Geraldine, good morning," he said as cordially he could, looking her steadily in the eyes. His free hand came to rest on Betty's waist and she backed into him a little.

He could practically see  _Geraldine_  trying to recall his name frantically until she finally relaxed and said, "Jarhead! Good morning!"

He barely concealed a snort but Betty, apparently unamused, said "It's  _Jug_  head."

The woman in front of them flushed and apologised hastily, more to Betty than to him.

Betty watched as Jughead ushered the Grundy lady out and briefly wondered if she should tell her that her tits were practically hanging out. Then again, Betty thought, Geraldine Grundy didn't seem like the type to mind.

Jughead returned and gestured up to his bedroom wordlessly, sleep clearly etched in the lines of his face. His hair was messed up, just as hers probably was and he had pillow creases on his face.

 _Screw it,_  she thought. She could afford to lie in. She'd just tell her mother that she'd stayed over at Veronica's.

She climed the stairs slowly, thinking of how she'd crept downstairs after hearing sounds when she'd woken up to use the washroom. Why exactly would someone creep out on their boyfriend at five in the morning?

She voiced this to Jughead as they entered his bedroom. He collapsed on the bed sleepily and wound himself around her the instant she joined him.

"Don't know, don't care," he yawned into her hair, his lips against her forehead. "We can analyse it later if you want but for now, sleep."

She might have stayed awake and mulled over it silently but then Jughead began to hum softly, his chest vibrating beneath her palm and Betty found herself being lulled to sleep.

She was woken up a few hours later by her phone ringing, signalling that one Veronica Lodge was on the line.

"I have a plan," said Veronica without preamble.

_Betty should have seen this coming._

* * *

_Jughead should have seen this coming._

After Betty woke up him to tell him she had to leave, she also mentioned that Veronica had called with an idea.

The idea, as it turned out, had nothing to do with the Reggie predicament and everything to do with him and Betty as well as Veronica, Cheryl, Kevin and  _Archie_  .

The latina wanted them all to go away on vacation together.

When Jughead had simply gaped at Betty, she'd explained that V and Cheryl had had a week long vacation to some island planned for ages. They'd originally invited the entire group but Betty had declined. Now, however, they were insisting that everyone accompany them so that Betty and Jughead could get some distance from Reggie.

It was, as Betty put it, a very Veronica kind of plan.

Not that Jughead was opposed to the idea of alone time with Betty. It was just that he'd be imposing. Freeloading. Living a lifestyle that wasn't his.

Betty had told him to think it over before leaving and he'd gone and collapsed on Archie's beanbag, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea of just  _taking off._

To an aisle in the  _Indian Ocean_  . On a private jet.  _Had he mentioned the private jet?_

"You can offer to pay for the groceries man," said Archie. "We're getting a free vacation and your girl is with you. Hop on board!"

Jughead pushed away the warmth that rose within him at the words  _his girl_  and focused.

"For all I know, Veronica had some private Italian chef so there won't be any groceries to buy! I get what you're saying but it's- I can't take-"

"Bro, it's not charity," said Archie, reading Jughead's mind correctly. "That's not how they see it. For them, this is normal."

"It isn't for us."

" _Jug_  ," sighed Archie. "Both of us would have a blast and we'll do something to repay them. We won't be lazy guests."

Jughead nodded, still not completely convinced. There was another matter on his mind too which was just as pressing. He'd be spending time with Betty, preferably sharing a room though he didn't want to assume anything. He didn't know what that would entail but he'd be lying to himself if he said he hadn't dreamt of being with Betty.

He sighed, steeling himself for this.

"One more thing, Arch," he began. Archie grunted, attention still focused on tuning his guitar. Jughead cleared his throat. "I need…tips."

"On?"

"Well...sex."

Archie hit a particularly discordant note on his guitar and stared up at Jughead, not even bothering to hide his excitement. "Jughead Jones, are you planning on getting  _laid_  ?!"

" _No_  . I mean, I don't know. Just in case."

Archie grinned woflishly and Jughead had a feeling that he was about to be supremely unhelpful.

"Use a condom."

"Christ, I know that!" Jughead exclaimed, burying his face in his hands like that would make his embarrassment disappear.

Something heavy fell into his lap and Jughead peeked to see a book with a bright red cover, ' _How to Please Her_  ' printed boldly on it's surface.

"Is this a-"

"Yep."

"You've actually read this?"

"Taught me everything I needed to know," said Archie matter of factly. "And now all the girls love me."

Jughead couldn't argue with that. So he picked up the book gingerly, like he was afraid it'd bite and left the room.

He was going on a vacation with Betty.

* * *

A day and a half later, Jughead was squirming slightly in the pristine beige seats of the Lodge jet, still marvelling at how everything had fallen into place.

Fred had definitely been taken aback at first. Then, he'd said that since neither of the boys had taken a vacation in years, this may as well be the time. He'd hired Moose and Doiley, two of their temporary hands, full time.

Jughead had ripped through the book as fast as he could, thanking God for his photographic memory and then thinking that he'd best not be remembering the Almighty while his mind was stuck on unholy thoughts.

He had packed condoms, breath mints and his cleanest boxers, feeling increasingly more awkward by the second.

He was now on the first 'first time ever' type of experience - his first ever plane ride and a 20 hour long one at that.

He'd had an Augustus Waters moment where he'd gasped at just how  _tiny_  everything started looking once they were airborne while Kevin chuckled at him and Archie whooped from up ahead.

They'd since encountered turbulence. Hence his squirming.

Betty's hand landed on his on the armrest and he glanced over at her. She was wearing what she called 'travel clothes' aka, sweats. That sight alone made him feel a whole lot more comfortable.

"It's just wind, Juggie. The aircraft's engines have more power than that," she said.

"But-" His mind was whirring, coming up with all the possible ways in which a crash could occur.

Betty smiled at him gently, tightened her hand over his and started explaining the mechanism of an engine fluently, essentially erasing doubts he hadn't vocalised.

_Was it wrong that he found gearhead Betty to be extremely sexy?_

* * *

The Lodges owned a villa on the coast of Mauritius. It was elegant, dazzling white and yes, came with an Italian chef.

Jughead carried Veronica, Cheryl and Betty's suitcases up to their rooms and then turned around to find Betty heaving his own bags onto the landing.

"What- Betty I'd get that!" he said, rushing over.

She shooed him away almost immediately. "You've barely packed anything! Besides, ballerinas have muscle."

She strode into her-  _their_  - room and placed his things on the hardwood floor.

"We're sharing then," he commented to himself, appreciating the floor to ceiling windows, the couch set, the plush queen sided bed.

He didn't notice Betty's reaction until she said uncertainly, "I mean…not if you don't want to. Is it okay? There are spare bedrooms, if-"

"That's not what I meant," he said quickly. "I just didn't want to be presumptuous."

Betty's mouth lifted at a corner and she walked over to him slowly, her hips… _swaying?_  She slid her arms up his chest and around his neck, his stomach somersaulting as his hands automatically found her hips.

"Jug," she said very seriously. "We're dating, right?"

"Yes ma'am."

She pressed a kiss to his cheek and then looked him in the eyes. "We're not going to do  _anything_  you're not comfortable with. There's zero pressure."

He nodded.

"But," she continued teasingly, "If you are on board with certain things, the possibilities are  _endless_."

Jughead groaned low in his throat and kissed Betty hard, backing them towards the couch.

"Do tell," he murmered, nipping the skin beneath her ear. She shivered against him and he made a mental note of it.

"Well.." she said "Bras are uncomfortable."

The back of his knees hit the couch and he sank down on it, pulling Betty into his lap. "Go on Betts."

"If we were both okay with it, I wouldn't wear any when it's just us."

His pants tightened embarrassingly fast.

"I could get on board with that," he said between kisses.

She tugged on his hair lightly. "You could help me with sunblock. We could go shopping in the local markets together. Later, we could…conserve water in the mornings. In the shower."

_Fuck._

Jughead hugged Betty tightly, all of her pressed against him. "Baby, you're killing me here."

She stroked his hair like he was some sort of puppy but damn if he didn't love it. "Don't hold back Juggie. Not with me. It's not too soon.".

_How did she do that?_

Jughead started to reply just as a loud rap sounded on the doorframe, making both of them jump.

Archie stood in the open doorway, flaming face turned resolutely towards the ceiling. "Cheryl wants you two to come downstairs. She wants to make plans."

Betty huffed and got off him and he grabbed the nearest cushion. Archie noticed and shot him a shit eating grin. "Seems like you're a little bother-"

Jughead lobbed another cushion at Archie's head and the latter ran, Betty chuckling in the background.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My shortest chapter yet. 
> 
> Now I have options for the direction in which the next few chapters should go. I can either focus on the vacation part for a bit (happy, maybe sexy Bughead times) or kind of relegate it to the background and write about the Reggie situation.
> 
> Let me know!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter in a word? Smut.
> 
> There's a little bit of plot too but meh.

Betty walked a few steps ahead of Jughead, her hair and straw hat catching the rays of the setting sun.

She wore a bright blue sundress and carried a huge tote on her shoulder, which had three soft toy dodo birds peeking out of it.

Cheryl had basically set all of them free to explore the markets on their own so here he and Betty were, shopping for curios. The bulk of Betty's purchases were for her sister and after she'd bought two replicas of the national bird for the twins, she'd decided to buy one for herself too.

That was the one Jughead was considering pinching because well...he was man enough to admit that it was cute beyond words.

"Earth to Juggie!"

He snapped out of it to notice that she'd stopped in front of a vendor. His stomach rumbled on cue.

They took their baguettes to the waterfront to watch the sunset, sitting on the embankment with their legs dangling. Jughead had pushed both her tote and his bag aside in favour of sitting closer to her, which probably wasn't the best decision given how messy and  _huge_  baguettes were.

_Delicious though._

"I like Dee," said Betty, out of the blue. "As a name."

He set his empty wrapper aside and wiped his hands. "For the soft toy?" He asked, certain she didn't mean Polly's kids.

Betty nodded and licked sauce off her fingertip. "I feel like she looks like a Dee, all chubby and cute but her personality would be more…out there. Like a Debby."

Jughead bit back his laugh and turned to look at 'Dee', half her fluffy head poking out through the gap in the bag's zip. He slung an arm around Betty affectionately.

"Once you take her home, she won't need any looking after," he said, straight - faced. "I'd called that independence. Very Debby."

Betty shot him a shrewd side eyed look. "Juggie is it possible that you have designs on my bird? Because if you do…"

"No I don't!"

She waved her empty wrapper at his face threateningly. "I've seen the way you look at her. I can tell where your heart lies."

Jughead laughed aloud and placed a finger on her chin, directing her face up to his. "I don't look at anyone the way I look at you, Betts," he said honestly.

His girl's teasing smile melted into a sigh and she closed her eyes briefly. "You can't win against a writer and his words, I swear."

He grinned, elated with the effect that simple statement had had on her.

"Do you also swear to maybe share Dee? Sometimes?"

Betty narrowed her green eyes at his hopeful expression. "Sure," she said flatly. "Catch me in my moment of weakness."

He would have probably said more except she tugged him closer by the collar of his shirt then. "Do me a favour," she said. "Shut up and kiss me."

He willingly lowered his lips to hers in the crowded promenade, not caring who saw.

* * *

Dinner comprised of some of the most subtly delicious food Jughead had ever tasted and he really couldn't hold a grudge against the chef after that.

He sat back in his chair, sated and observed the people around him. They were all sluggish, the jet lag finally hitting them.

Kevin and Betty sat curled up together on the couch with him flipping through the news. Cheryl lounged on a nearby seat in a tiny (red) silk gown, checking her phone. Veronica had gone up to her room and Archie was still stuffing his face beside Jughead.

Did you and Kevin hang out today?" He asked Archie. The redhead swallowed with an effort. "Yeah. He found some sick printed beach shirts. We bought a couple."

"Had a good time?" asked Jughead, suddenly realising that while he had Betty, Archie didn't really have anyone he was close to in this group, save for Jughead.

Archie jerked his head affirmatively. "Kev's a bro. I mean, sure, I miss Geraldine-" Jughead rolled his eyes inwardly. "-but Kevin keeps touching my biceps so I feel the lovin'.

Jughead chortled. Betty tipped her head back to smile at him lazily and he waved back.

Archie shoved his chair back and Jughead rose with him, having won the battle to do the dishes earlier in the evening.

They worked in relative silence for a while, the droning sound of the television providing a background for the clatter of utensils.

Archie dropped his fourth spoon noisily and waved Kevin off when he got up to help.

Kevin stretched instead and wandered upstairs. Betty, her pillow gone, trailed after him.

"Hey," said Archie presently. "Do you think Ronnie or someone will have contacts in the music industry? I could get them to listen to my stuff!"

"Dude we can't just ask for that."

"Betty's editing for you," scoffed Archie.

"That's..." The statement gave Jughead pause.  _How was it different exactly?_

When Betty had started helping him out, things had been on a purely friendly basis. The dymanic had changed now. He had also considered taking her help to get in touch with publishers but he'd definitely disregard that option now. That would, however slightly, entail using Betty's family money and influence and he wouldn't be the guy who piggybacked on his girlfriend's wealth.

"I'm not going through with that," he said instead.

"What? Not publishing? I thought you'd started seeing it as less of a pipe dream after Betty came on board," said Archie.

It was true. Before Betty, the novel was something of a treasured secret, something he never really dreamt of seeing in print.

But then  _she'd_  come along and taken an active interest in his work. She'd poured her passion into it, in turn motivating him and now he had concrete plans of trying (and quite possibly failing but still trying) to become a published author.

_Fuck. He owed more to Betty than he'd realised._

"I want to publish it," he said aloud. "Betty had offered to hook me up with some publishers after. That's the offer I'm not taking her up on any more."

Archie studied Jughead for a moment. "It's great that you want to see this project through-" Jughead grinned inwardly at how official that made things sound. "-but why the sudden drive?"

"Betty," said Jughead simply.

Archie whistled lowly.

Jughead returned to wiping the plates, still thinking. He had another reason in mind too, besides wanting his vision to prosper.

He knew that his relationship with Betty was fresh, that she could survive just fine without the luxuries her life granted her; that she wasn't defined by her financial status. He  _knew_  that.

Still, it wouldn't hurt if he had some form of a social standing too. Betty would always be a member of Society and it'd help if she could mention her boyfriend without either of them being looked upon with contempt.

Have you told her you love her yet?" asked Archie in an undertone so that Cheryl, still immersed in her phone, wouldn't hear.

Jughead glanced at the now vacant staircase.

"No." "Soon though," he added to himself.

* * *

Betty had planned on waiting up for Jughead. She really had.

She'd located their room and gone through the motions of her bedtime routine in a sleepy stupor. She'd brushed, yanked off her bra and changed into shorts and a tank top.

Then she'd stretched out on the covers for Jughead, wondering how hard the jet lag had hit  _him_  , a person unaccustomed to flights.

She woke up sometime later when the bed behind her dipped and a warm palm slid up her thigh before settling on her hip. His musk surrounded Betty and she rolled over, straight into his chest.

Above her, Jughead chuckled, smoothening her hair back from her forehead.

"You awake?" he whispered.

Betty shook her head, nuzzling into him.

He shifted a bit and then, the glow of the bedroom lights behind her eyelids went blissfully dark.

* * *

Jughead had been revising his novel, complete with Betty's edits, for two hours before the girl in question finally stirred.

He'd woken up late into the morning while Betty was still out of it. He'd unentangled their limbs with some effort, then gone and treated himself to  _very_  cold shower.

The reason?

 _Her_  , of course.

When she'd pressed against him after he'd almost woken her up last night, it had become very evident that she'd gone bra less. He'd averted his gaze, unwilling to stare at her without her consent when they weren't  _there_  yet but between that, her thin, white tank top and her proximity, he was astounded that he'd gotten any sleep at all.

He was sort of grateful to the jet lag.

"Juggie?"

He turned to see Betty sitting up in bed, looking adorably tousled. As he made a move to go to her, she raised a finger, yawned out 'morning breath' and made straight for the bathroom.

_Okay then._

Jughead turned back to his laptop. His words drew him in again and the reverie broke only when Betty padded up behind him barefoot and snaked her arms around his chest.

"Final cuts?" she asked, peering over his shoulder.

He pressed a kiss to her jawline and she tilted her head to give him better access.

"Yeah. Give it a onceover when I'm done?" he asked.

"Of course. Do you want to get back to this? I can mmff-"

Betty sank into Jughead's kiss even as he swivelled his chair around and tugged her onto his lap urgently.

"No work then?" she asked breathily before he covered her lips with another passionate kiss, his tongue pushing into her mouth.

"Nope. Just you," he gasped, snaking his hands beneath the hem of her top, grasping her waist.

"Someone's worked up," teased Betty. Jughead kissed her deeply again before revealing exactly what was up.

"You're unfair," he said, pulling back. "Have you seen the way you look in this flimsy tank? And last night, I swear to God.."

Betty smiled victoriously, like he'd walked right into her trap. "Did you like what you saw?" She asked, voice dropping an octave.

_Damn._

She ground down against him and Jughead's hands moved to her ass involuntarily before he realised he was in unchartered territory. Betty locked eyes with him and nodded so he squeezed, loving how she ground harder against his tight boxers.

"Made myself look away," he managed to get out, in reply to her pending question. "I didn't want to ogle while you were asleep."

Betty stopped moving and dropped her forehead to his, panting. "Goddamnit Jug, you are  _such_  a good guy."

She cupped his face. "You're free to look Juggie. In fact,  _please_  stare at me and touch me. I'm yours."

Jughead's boner was raging now and there was no way Betty couldn't feel every single thing through his boxers.

He grabbed Betty's ass and back firmly and stood, chuckling at her squeal when he deposited her on the bed.

Betty scrambled back against the headboard and he followed as though by a magnetic attraction.

He propped himself up beside her on his elbow and ran a hand across her face as she lay on her back.

"I'm yours too," he whispered.

Betty's smile was wide and infectious and he would have beamed back in response except now, he was  _looking_  and his throat had run dry.

He was allowing his gaze to sweep across Betty's body for the first time ever and  _fuck,_  she had an incredible figure.

Her nipples were straining against the fabric of her top, the material stretched across her breasts anyway. His eyes travelled further down to her flat stomach and tight waist, her clothing riding up there.

And then came the legs that he'd been unable to tear his eyes away from. Long, fair, shapely and strong.

Betty watched breathlessly as hunger overcame Jughead's features and she wished he'd just act on it and  _touch her._

"You're beautiful," he said in a hushed undertone, looking at her with open, darkened blue eyes.

"You're not so bad yourself," she said softly, tugging him down to her lips.

The kiss was slower now, pace altered. Jughead's hand crept up to her ribcage, her tank bunched up around his wrist. He tore his lips from hers to watch as his hand slid higher,  _finally_  palming her left breast.

" _Baby_  ," Betty moaned and he swiped a finger over her nipple, making her jolt. He kissed her briefly and when they parted, he said, "I've never done this before."

_What?_

Betty paused, her hand coming up to trap his against her chest. "Which parts?" she asked, wincing at how that sounded.

A self depreciating smirk tugged at the corner of Jughead's mouth. "I've kissed before. It was…nothing remarkable. Everything else is new to me."

Betty was still wrapping her mind around his confession when he rolled off her completely and sat up. "I'm a twenty four year old virgin, Betts."

Betty pushed herself up beside him and rubbed his arm, thinking. She'd known but never felt his inexperience. She'd had no idea about the extent of it.

"And you want me to be your first?" she blurted out.

He chuckled at her confusion. "I never particularly cared about sex or thought I was missing out. Then you happened. So…yeah. I do."

Betty kissed his cheek, feeling overwhelmed. "I'm honoured Juggie," she said. "How far do you want to go right now?"

Jughead let out a rush of breath, like he was grateful for her acceptance. Before she could address that hunch, he'd grabbed her and yanked her closer. She swallowed her yelp and straddled him again, noting how he gripped her ribcage.

"Your tits have been driving me  _crazy_  . So maybe we could start there and then…go with the flow?" Jughead grinned up at her, confidence regained and somewhere through her lust riddled haze, she registered that he'd made an arousal joke.

"You little shit," she gasped playfully as both of Jughead's hands cupped her breasts over her clothes, kneading, fondling.

Later, when he peeled her top off, she knew she'd never forget the way his breath hitched when he looked at her. His lips closed over her nipple, hands wandering all over her backside and legs, cupping the back of her neck, tangling in her hair.

Betty pulled his tshirt off too, committing the sight of her shirtless boyfriend to memory.

He was rock hard beneath her the entire time so she palmed him over his boxers, nipping his collarbone with every stuttered breath he took. Once he gave her the okay, she slid her hand underneath and grasped his sizable length, at which point he bit down on her nipple while she tugged him free gently and then worked her hand up and down him quickly.

Jughead moaned, a beautiful sound that went straight to her wet core and released, looking at her with his captivating, completely vulnerable eyes, calling her name like a prayee as he came down from his high.

To Betty, Jughead Jones had never looked more ethereal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo...did you guys like the intimacy? Jug's confession? Though that one was hinted at throughout. Really nervous about this chapter.
> 
> Let me know!
> 
> Merry Christmas and thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

It was late afternoon and Jughead had officially crossed two milestones off his bucket list.

The first was taking a step towards physical intimacy with Betty which  _holy shit, had that really happened?_

 _The second_  , Jughead thought sarcastically,  _was getting chased down a forest trail by an ostrich._  He had  _not_  seen that one coming.

Shortly after he'd shivered apart in Betty's arms, Veronica had called them downstairs for brunch and they'd taken off for sightseeing.

They'd come to Casela, a safari cum amusement park. They'd seen the vibrant bird enclosures and Betty had convinced Jughead to pose with her with a wild peacock roaming in the background.

After that, they'd decided to take a segway safari through the jungle, which had started off really well. They'd seen zebras and deer. He'd taken Betty up on her proposal of a segway race and he couldn't even pretend to have let her won. She'd beaten him fair and square, something he suspected Archie would remember for eternity.

It was just when their guide had begun dropping facts about how much faster a runner an ostrich was than a human, that two of said animal has emerged from the brush. One of them (Jughead maintained that it was the bigger one) had taken an instant like or dislike to his beanie and had chased him along the rough terrain until the guide had distracted it.

"It's not funny! You wait until you have this huge bird with a sharp beak and red eyes running after you!"

Cheryl gave Jughead the side eye. "Honey,  _I'd_ intimidate the bird. Not the other way around."

"True," said Kevin, around his mouthful.

Betty rubbed Jughead's back comfortingly and he leaned into her, feeling vaguely petulant. "Jug stayed ahead of the ostrich the entire time though. You've gotta give him props for that."

"He was on a segway," scoffed Archie. "Besides, you'd go faster."

Jughead groaned and buried his face in Betty's hair, done with their teasing.

"That's also true," said Betty, chuckling. Jughead released her, scowling.

Kevin snapped his fingers and pointed at Jughead's face. "That's the facial expression I remember! All grouchy and hot and shit!"

The group laughed as Cheryl said," Grouchy and totally in love with Betty, sure. Hot, not so much."

Jughead noticed as Betty laughed awkwardly.  _Was it the love comment? He'd interpret it later._

"Anyway," said Veronica pointedly, "Who's up for a little clubbing tomorrow? There aren't any gay bars around; I checked," she added to Kevin.

Kevin's face fell while Archie whooped in agreement and Jughead had a feeling he'd have to remind his best friend about dear Geraldine.

* * *

"V, just how many dresses did you pack?!" exclaimed Betty, staring at the array of partywear that covered every inch of the king sized Lodge-Blossom bed.

Veronica turned around from in front of the mirror, currently dressed only in her undergarments. "Enough to party every night."

Betty shook her head at Veronica's literal reply. "Twice a day, everyday and then some," she muttered.

Veronica scrutinised the dresses, then slipped on a sexy, deep purple number. Betty helped her zip up, completely familiar with their pre-club routine in which the duo threw Cheryl out while they got dressed and then Betty helped  _Cheryl_  dress while the redhead tried to get Betty to reveal what V would be wearing.

Betty had always enjoyed playing wingman of sorts to a couple that still desired each other, despite a couple of years under their belt. It was confident female sexuality at its best but in the past, it had made Betty feel a bit lonely.

After the beginning, Reggie hadn't particularly cared about what she wore. Sure, he'd kiss her and compliment her on occasion. There were times when they'd fallen into bed after a party for a quick, dry round of sex.

She hadn't been able to pinpoint the reason behind her loneliness then since objectively, all the boxes were being checked.

Now though, she could remember feeling hot all over at the way Jughead looked at her in shorts, let alone his reaction when he'd seen her topless the day before.

This time, she wouldn't just be dressing up for herself. She had a man to drive wild.

Betty bit her lip to stop herself from smiling like a lunatic but V noticed anyway. "Jughead?" she questioned.

Betty snapped out of it in time to start using the straightener on Veronica's hair. "Yeah," she said, blushing at her best friend through the mirror. "I was considering something sexy...not too much, though. Classy."

"Have you slept with him yet?" asked Veronica bluntly.

"No, he's…I mean no, not yet."

The latina looked at Betty's reflection thoughtfully before focusing on her own. "I'm all set," she declared, standing and whipping around with a flourish. "Now  _you_  ," she said to Betty. " _You_  need lingerie."

Half an hour later, Betty was dressed in a LBD. It was sleeveless and backless with a halter neck and a sheer panel at her midriff. The real deal, though, was underneath - the lingerie she'd packed on a whim.

Her hair was arranged to look messier than usual and she'd wanted to go with her usual minimalistic makeup but V had dug her heels in and they'd compromised with winged liner and red lips.

Satisfied, V left and Betty let Cheryl in who surveyed her critically, then said, "Yeah, I'd fuck you."

* * *

Jughead's fingers itched for the beanie Kevin had locked in his suitcase as he waited for the man in question to get ready. Archie sat beside him, miffed since Kevin had shouted down his suggestion to wear loud beach shirts to the club, a conversation Jughead couldn't believe had actually taken place. He'd never been to a club but he did know that much.

Speaking of which, he'd been iffy ever since clubbing had been brought up. His conscience was partially at ease about the cost factor since he and Archie had borne all of the expenses at Casela.

Still, partying wasn't his scene. He knew he'd end up going anyway but he'd still agonised over it. That was until Betty had pulled him aside to ask if he really wanted to come because she was totally okay with a night of 'Netflix and chill' in the empty mansion if not.

He'd felt his tension melt away briefly and he'd realised that a large part of him wanted to go, simply because he knew he had Betty and a few other people around that he could tolerate.

So he'd said he'd go and Betty had searched his face for any indecision before leaning up to kiss him.

Now, however, his anxiety was seeping through again. It was ridiculous. He was a grown man, for crying out loud. He could get through a party without his blankie.

To distract himself, he asked aloud, "What's taking the girls so long?"

"Kevin's not a girl and he's taking longer than those three put together," said Archie, apparently still peeved.

"I heard that!" hollered Kevin. A second later, he emerged from the closet, looking dapper. He clapped his hands together and ran an eye over Jughead and Archie.

"Looking fine, boys. And-" he added to Jughead, "The girls have this entire dressing routine with timings and everything because Betty refuses to spend longer than half an hour getting ready but Cheryl needs an hour. Trust me, you don't want to question their bonding methods."

Jughead believed him.

* * *

Betty sauntered into the club with Jughead on her arm, feeling like a million bucks. The confidence came mostly from Jughead's reaction to seeing her when she'd met him in the foyer.

His jaw had slackened, eyes darkening as he clearly took in her legs, the dress that ended at the tops of her thighs and then her face before focusing on her eyes.

He'd whispered in her ear in a deep rumble. " _Betts, you look…wow."_  His hands hadn't left her body since.

Betty, on her part, was in awe of how well Jughead had cleaned up. She'd never doubted that he could but it was still a pleasant shock to see him wearing a black button down with a couple of buttons unfastened over his chest and the sleeves rolles up to his elbows. The jeans were his usual but his beanie had evidently been wrestled from him. She'd thank Kevin later.

She looked up to see Jughead looking slightly uncomfortable, surreptitiously trying to button his shirt up.

Then again, just because she thought he looked good, it didn't necessarily mean that  _he_  was comfortable. Betty reached up to tug his hand away gently. "Leave it alone. You look great, Juggie. Plus, you're kinda stuck with me the whole night. I don't plan on ditching you."

Jughead glanced at the crowds as Betty led them to their booth. "Please don't," he said. "There's this girl at the bar who's giving me weird looks."

While the others slid into the booth, Betty spotted the leggy brunette who was eyeing Jughead. "She wants to flirt with you," she practically growled, feeling oddly territorial. Jughead merely gestured for Betty to take a seat and once she did, he sat and draped an arm over her shoulders, his lips brushing against her temple.

The girl looked away.

* * *

Betty was weaving her way back from the bar with a beer for herself when she saw the brunette again. The girl was leaning forward against the table in the now empty booth, evidently talking to Jughead.

Jughead made eye contact with Betty the second she emerged from the crowd and stood so suddenly that the girl jumped. A second later, the chick leaned in  _close_  , apparently under the impression that he'd leapt to his feet for her.

Betty sped up just as the girl reached out towards Jughead's face, who in turn lunged to drag Betty in front of him, holding her there like a human shield.

"This is Betty," he announced. "This is my girlfriend. I told you about Betty."

Betty smiled politely in greeting, watching as the other's eyes swept down her critically, lingering at Jughead's hands on her stomach from behind. He was still talking fast.

"This is Jess. " Betty watched, bemused, as he took a hurried swig of her beer and put it down. "And Betty and I are off to dance. Nice meeting you!" With that, Jughead practically hauled her off, leaving  _Jess_ in the dirt.

They bumped into Cher and V on the way and Betty spied Kevin sitting in the distance before Jughead determined that he was now far enough from his admirer and stopped, right at the edge of the dancefloor.

"Sorry about that," he semi yelled over the music, steadying her. Betty giggled, slightly buzzed and linked her hands around his neck, tugging so that she could speak into his ear.

"You were a caveman back there! How was bonding with Jess?"

"She-" he shuddered "-kept leaning over and it was weird as  _fuck_."

Jess was attractive. Betty would grant her that. However, all that had done was freak Jughead out. She felt her jealousy melt away at his disgust. She could discern the incredulity in his words though, like he couldn't grasp why any woman would hit on him.

_Had he seen a mirror?_

"I mean, not that I don't want to punch Jess' lights out for hitting on my taken man-" Jughead's expression shifted to a smirk. "-but why does her hitting on you surprise you?"

He shrugged. "It's never happened before. It's not like I'm Archie."

"Juggie," she said quietly, trailing her fingers over the exposed sliver of his chest. His breath hitched. "I think you look handsome in your regular garage attire, complete with your beanie. But tonight? You look unbelievably sexy."

Jughead's lips crashed down on Betty's before she realised what was happening. She kissed him back hard after a moment, his hand burning against her bare back.

Jughead pulled back just as suddenly, eyes a deep blue. "Thanks but have you seen yourself? Because the way you look tonight Betty, I swear to God-"

He let his eyes trail over her figure then, letting her see his simmering desire. She shivered involuntarily and Jughead leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Love, I may not have done this before but the things I want to do to you in that dress…"

Betty might have moaned at that, loving how gone they were for each other but wanting to drive him crazier.

"Do you want to make good on what you told Jess?" she asked.

"What?" asked Jughead blankly.

"Do you want to dance?"

That snapped him out of his sexual haze. "Betts, I don't- I can't dance."

Betty stepped back and grabbed into his hand, walking backwards towards the dancefloor, hoping she looked seductive. Judging by his expression, she was succeeding.

"Just come up there and move with me. I promise, you'll enjoy it."

It could be the effect of the single beer that he'd downed or the fact that he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the way her dress was tight over her boobs. Whatever the reason, Jughead gulped, nodded and followed Betty onto the dancefloor.

She stopped where they'd be surrounded by bodies moving as one to the rhythm. She wrapped her hands around his shoulders, feeling the beat in her bones too.

"What now?" he asked, placing his hands on her hips.

This would be a first for her too. Betty tipped her head back, aware of how Jughead licked his lips and began to sway with the music, guiding his movements.

* * *

Despite his claims, Jughead was a fast learner. He was, Betty decided, not the most graceful dancer but that hardly mattered when he'd taken the initiative to spin her around and was currently running his hands all over her, lips nibbling at her neck, hips rolling into hers from behind.

That beer had definitely kicked in.

He'd soon figured out that bump n grind was the way to go. They were decent compared to the other couples groping on the floor but still, it was immensely sensual to have Jughead's hand slide up her leg and over her semi exposed midriff, his other forearm resting on her chest, holding her to him.

She thrust back and swayed against him and he swore, spinning her by the hips, lips attacking hers before she'd even stilled. They kissed passionately for a while, hands roaming until Betty broke away for air. "Juggie do you want to-"

"Go back to the house?" he finished. She nodded. "Let's."

Jughead smoothed down her dress and they stumbled over to collect their belongings before heading out.

It was as they were passing the bar that they bumped into a very inebriated Kevin. "Watch- oh. It's you two," he said. His bloodshot gaze took in their messy hair and Betty's smudged lipstick, his lips curling into a sneer.

"Aren't you cute," he said. "Jughead comes out of his shell and sexes you up while  _you_ -" he jabbed at Betty "-you've got a dick back home too. Spoilt for choice. Meahwhile,  _nobody wants to get with a faggot!"_

His voice rose to a drunken yell at the end and Betty reached out to take his arm, alarmed. Kevin just shook her off and stormed away.

Jughead and Betty exchanged a glance before following him.

They found Kevin at the bar, hollering at the bartender to get his attention. "Kev, they'll throw you out," said Betty. He turned to her, scowling. Over his shoulder, Jughead told the bartender to cut him off, then took a seat on his other side.

"You don't get it," began Kevin. "Cheryl and V have each other. I'm alone and now the guys I'm trying to get with are such wusses-"

He paused to hiccup and Jughead slid a glass of water in front of him wordlessly, eyebrows pinched. Kevin gulped it down and then held the cool pitcher to his forehead, breathing steadier.

"Kev what happened?" asked Betty gently. Her friend sighed. When he spoke again, the anger had melted away and he sounded tired. "Saw a guy across the club making eyes at me. Went over. We danced. When I asked him to come outside, he-"

Kevin's voice hitched. "He called me a fag and left."  
Betty wrapped her arm around Kevin's shoulders as they started to shake lightly. "I though I could be myself out here."

He swiped at his eyes furiously and Betty hugged him tighter, not knowing what to say. After a while, she felt Jughead's hand on her shoulder. "Let's go home," he said.

Betty led the way out and hailed a cab, Jughead stumbling under Kevin's weight behind her.

"M fine, fine," muttered Kevin as they tried to help him into the car. "Hey!" yelled Kevin suddenly at a male passerby. "You gay, man?" The man gave him a scandalized look and edged away.

Kevin waved after him dismissively. "Oh what good are you anyway," he said, sliding into his seat heavily.  
They rode home in silence, Kevin sandwiched between them, now mostly silent. Jughead's frown was visible throughout though he tried to clear it when he saw her watching.

She wondered at his tension. Was it because of the drunk behaviour? Did it remind him of his own father's alcoholism?

They helped Kevin to his room and Jughead helped him get ready for bed while Betty went off in search of hangover cure meds. She returned to find Kevin tucked in and a bucket in front of his bed, in case he woke up to puke.

She didn't need to guess how Jughead knew.

Kevin was snoring by the time she'd found a bottle of water, a washcloth and thrown his club clothes in the laundry.

"He'll be okay," said Jughead quietly. She turned to see him leaning against the wall. "Physically, anyway," he added heavily, reaching an arm out towards her.

Betty went to him unhesitatingly and Jughead wrapped his arm around her.

* * *

"It's not triggering for me to see someone drunk," said Jughead as they sank down on the bed, his arm still around her shoulders.

"How did-"

"It's practically written on your face," he said wryly. "It's a trigger only when someone gets wasted regularly."

"So what is it? What's bothering you?"

He let go of her and began pacing. "Kevin. He always seemed like such a cheerful guy. I didn't know that it was this difficult for him or that he held so much.."

"Anger and bitterness?" she offered. He nodded and shoved his hands into his pocket. She tried not to think about how hot he looked.  _This was not the time._

Jughead was still talking. "I just…I judged you guys too quickly. Not you.  _You_ , I stopped thinking of as typical the second you reacted normally to my name."

They both chuckled. "When I first met Kevin and the lot, I thought they were nice but that they had it all. That they wouldn't know what it could be like to be rejected or- or  _unwanted_ -"

"Juggie," said Betty softly. "Our reality is the same as yours, just with more money. The other side exists too. There are people for whom everything goes right; people who have that sense of entitlement. Take Reggie for example."

Jughead ran his hands through his hair. "Then there's that douche," he scowled. "We have to do something about that, you know."

Betty sighed and bent to unbuckle her heels, thinking. "We've heard that he was being unfaithful, right?"

Jughead squatted down in front of her and began to help her get the uncomfortable heels off. "That jackass," he said angrily, by way of reply. Betty's heart swelled a little and she fought back a smile.

"Maybe we could gather some evidence of that. If there's proof, my parents will be worried about it being a blight on the name of the Coopers and all that," she suggested.

"It could work, yeah," mused Jughead. He knelt and ran a hand up her calf, resting it on her knee. She laced her fingers through it. "You know what would make me feel better? Possibly breaking Reggie's nose."

"Jug!" she laughed, slightly shocked. "Though yeah, I probably wouldn't be allowed to marry a man with a damaged face. Plan B?" she asked teasingly and he finally smiled.

"Plan B," he agreed. Betty cupped his cheek with her hand and he leant into it, closing his eyes briefly. "It's just…I don't understand how he could do that to you."

"Jug we've been over this," said Betty softly. "I don't care and it might even be useful now!"

"No decent person cheats Betty!  _Then_  , he had the nerve to say he loves you!"

Betty would have butted in to tell him to let it go but Jughead was on a roll. With conviction, he stated, "No guy who really loves his girl would ever cheat. It's disgusting and- and immoral and I could never do that to you!"

Betty froze halfway through asking him to calm down.

_Did he just-?_

Judging by the way his frown had been replaced by a 'deer in headlights' expression, he'd realised what he'd just blurted too.

Betty cleared her throat in the silence. "Jughead, did you just- do you mean you-?"

He straightened and, still kneeling, placed his hand over hers on his face. "Yeah," he said simply.

Betty bit back the smile threatening to break out, certain of her own feelings. "Yeah as in….?"

Jughead took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye. "Yeah as in I love you. I-" He drew a shuddering breath as Betty leaned forward involuntarily, cupping his face in both her hands, his on her wrists.

"Betty Cooper," he said, eyes on hers, "I love you."

Betty's answering smile got in the way when she leaned forward and kissed him deeply, Jughead's hands coming to cradle the back of her head.

When they came up for air, she fell all over again for the man in front of her, looking at her with such tender vulnerability. "Jughead Jones," she said softly, "I love you."

Jughead's smile, when he pushed her back on the bed gently and leaned down into her embrace, was radiant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response to the last chapter was amazing. You guys are terrific.
> 
> Also, what are the chances of fictional BH being in Mauritius at the same time as SH is in Hawaii?!
> 
> I'd love to hear all your opinions on this chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where this fic earns its smut rating.

Betty had Jughead shirtless and beltless within minutes of him pushing her down on the bed. She desperately wanted to explore the gently defined contours of his chest but judging by the way his fingers were scraping against the seams of her dress, he wanted her clothes off first.

"How the fuck does this come off?" he gasped, one hand on her back in a vain search for a zip, the other firmly on her breast.

Betty arched her back and undid the side hook, tugging down the concealed zip in response.

"Finally," muttered Jughead, his warm hands sliding the dress up her thighs, over her stomach, disentangling it from her hair carefully.

Betty went to pull him down the second her hands were free but Jughead leaned back, staring at her breathlessly.

"Betty what- what's this?"

She looked down impatiently and realised that it was her black lace lingerie that had him spellbound.

Jughead literally couldn't breathe. Betty lay underneath him, delicately wrapped in a lacy contraption that left little to imagination. Her golden hair fanned out across the white sheets and all that, coupled with the sultry way in which she was now looking at him, made her the embodiment of every fantasy he'd ever had.

He trailed a hand down her side in wonder, not missing how she licked her lips. "Is this for me?" he asked quietly.

Betty nodded and smiled and he swore, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. He peppered kisses down the column of her throat and across her collarbone, telling her just how sexy he thought she was.

He mouthed her nipples through the lace and erotic as that was, naked Betty was his favourite sight. "Off please," he said.

Betty sat up and undid the bra portion in a flurry of movement he couldn't even follow. Her perfect breasts spilled free and Jughead moved to them immediately even as his free hand slid lower, towards the one piece of fabric preventing him from seeing her nude for the first time ever.

He cupped her over the lace, marvelling at the heat. Betry squirmed, hips lifting. "You first, Juggie," she said. "I want to see you. All of you."

Jughead swallowed and knelt on the bed. She knelt too and undid his jeans slowly, giving him his time. His jeans were slipped off and then she palmed him over his boxers. "Okay?" she asked.

He nodded.

_This was Betty. She'd be the first to ever see him naked too._

Betty slid his boxers down and the moment the garment was clear, she cupped his face and kissed him deeply like she was trying to wash away his insecurities and inexperience. "You're beautiful," she whispered.

That drew a chuckle from Jughead. "That does wonders for my ego."

She giggled and grasped his hard dick boldly, pumping up and down. "You're also hot, sexy, cute and very masculine, Juggie. How's that for ego?"

He groaned, struggling to form words. "It-Thanks Betts. It's your turn now."

She lay back. "Undress me?" she asked.

Betty looked like a goddess and for the millionth time, Jughead couldn't believe she'd chosen him.

"I should be so lucky," he whispered, reaching for her.

* * *

"I can't believe you read a book!" laughed Betty, still panting. Jughead leaned up on his elbow next to her, feeling on top of the world, his fingers still slick from her.

"I had no idea how you knew what you were doing or where everything was but  _damn_  Jug," she continued.

He grinned. "There was other stuff in that book too, you know," he said cheekily. He pressed his fingers against Betty's clit again and she jolted.

"I  _just_  came," she protested. "Give me some time."

"I just gave you an orgasm," said Jughead, still grinning. He didn't care that he was probably smiling like an idiot now or that he was painfully hard  _(okay he cared a little about that)_  but nothing was more arousing than watching Betty come undone beneath him, squirming and gasping in extreme pleasure.

He had to see that again.

"It was all about how to pleasure her," he said. "Different techniques…positions."

Betty's hand came to rest on the wrist of his hand which was currently rubbing along her folds gently. "Do tell," she said.

"Well…how go down on a woman, for one."

_He'd just had his fingers inside her but he couldn't talk about eating her out without blushing. Christ._

Betty blinked, surprised. "Is that something you want to do?" she asked.

He frowned at her incredulity. "Yeah. I'd love to…you know….taste you."

Betty tugged him down and kissed him languidly. "You'd be the first. Now, show me your moves?"

Jughead kissed down her body, disgusted that Reggie had never wanted to pleasure Betty. Then again, that boded well for him.

He sucked kisses into the delicate skin of her hips and then spread her legs, loving how Betty was exposed for him, glistening and eager.

Betty knew she didn't have anything to compare to. Reggie had never expressed any desire to go down on her and she'd never pushed for it either.

Jughead, however, had done his research and  _very well_  at that. When she had orgasmed, he'd watched in wonder like watching her unravel was beautiful to him.

Her breath hitched as he slung her legs over his shoulders and exhaled over her centre.

The first tentative flick of his tongue had her jolting. He pressed his palm against her abdomen again and flicked his tongue right against her clit. Betty gasped and seemingly emboldened by this, Jughead went all in, licking down her slit, dipping his tongue into her, then returning to suck on her clit.

Betty moaned and writhed, one hand tangled in the sheets, the other holding his head to her centre.

_Fuck he was so good-_

Jughead raised his face abruptly and even as she whined, he asked, "Teeth?"

She shook her head breathlessly and he ducked his head, only to sit up again without touching her. "Um…are fingers plus tongue overstimulation because the book said-"

"It's fine. It's  _all fine, get down there!_  " Betty groaned.

Jughead slid two fingers into her without warning and she swore. He began to pump, crooking his fingers and Betty lost her breath again.

"Sorry, you'll need to guide me," he started, looking harried. "What feels good?"

"That…flicking technique," Betty panted, as his fingers sped up.

"They're called kitten licks. Just…sex trivia," muttered Jughead.

Betty's giggles merged into moans as he attacked her core ferociously then, licking and sucking while fingering her and she came hard, screaming his name.

Jughead didn't stop there. Apparently more sure of his textual learning now, he lapped up her release and kept going. Betty's faint cries increased in pitch again and he reached up to grip her hand in his as he brought her over the edge again.

Betty lay on her back, her body still shivering. Jughead climbed up to her and tugged her into his arms gently, rubbing her back.

"Good?" he asked.

"Amazing," she said. "That was…some impressive research Jones."

Jughead tilted her chin up and kissed her. "It paid off, didn't it?"

"Most memorable orgasm  _ever_ ," she said decisively. Jughead basked in her praise for a moment until Betty reached down and took him in her hand. "Time to return the favour," she said and went down on him.

When he came, he wasn't sure which one of them was louder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this chapter was meant to be long and include a lot of plot but after two weeks of sitting on the smut part with no time to write more, I figured I'd just go for it.
> 
> How was my first ever filler chapter filled with sexy Bughead times?
> 
> Thanks for reading! As always, your kudos and comments make my day.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter you've all been waiting for, part 1. (I mean, assuming y'all remember about this story, given how rarely I update and all.)

It was their second last day there when things imploded. They'd just returned from the beach and were lounging around in front of the television when Archie came thundering down the stairs.

Jughead barely had time to note the harried expression on his face before Archie was tugging him away from Betty, asking for a word.

"Is it Fred? Is he okay?"

Archie shook his head and held up his phone. "It's Geraldine. She called me all upset and in tears and said that we had to meet. She said our relationship depends on it."

_What?_

"Okay so," began Jughead. "We're flying back tomorrow. You can see her then."

Archie was pacing, shaking his head and Jughead suddenly felt like this was about to be blown out of proportion.

"I need to go now," said Archie firmly. "It can't wait."

Jughead pulled his friend further into the kitchen, thoroughly confused. "Start from the top. What did she say?"

Archie threw his hands up in frustration. "Exactly what I told you! That's all she said! I have to go."

Jughead started to reason with him just as Veronica walked into the kitchen.

"Who's going where?" she asked.

"Home," said Archie, talking over Jughead. He paused for a second at the sight of Veronica's raised eyebrows, as if only just realising the plans he'd be disrupting. "I'm sorry Ronnie," he started again, gentler. "I really need to go."

She studied him quietly for a beat. "You'll need to buy tickets. We need the jet for tomorrow."

"Last minute tickets will be horrendously expensive," said Jughead.

Veronica whipped out her phone and pressed a button. "I'll call Daddy. Let me see what he can do."

* * *

Two hours later, Jughead watched as the car pulled away from the villa, Archie and Kevin in it. Kevin had offered to go with the redhead immediately, with an urgency that Jughead could only call relief. Ever since that night, Kevin had been quieter. Betty had spoken to him and the general consensus was that he wanted time to himself.

Not that he'd get much on a flight with Archie.

"It doesn't make any sense," said Betty. "We're due back tomorrow and-"

"Archie's hooked," said Jughead. "If it was something really serious, Geraldine would have said so."

The car disappeared in the distance and Jughead watched, an inexplicable sense of foreboding taking over him.

"Kevin will look out for him," said Betty quietly. "We have 24 hours left here Juggie. We'll worry about them after."

* * *

Jughead tried to focus on other things and finally succeeded when they returned to the beach in the evening for the last time. Betty stripped down to a bikini and leaned back against his chest, his hands drawing idle circles on her thigh.

"Last night, baby," he muttered against her neck and she hummed in response.

"Did you enjoy it?" she asked.

"Which part?" he asked, his mind flipping through Betty in the various states of undress he'd seen over the course of the trip. "Because if you're asking me to rank your swimwear…"

She swatted at his thigh, laughing. "The vacation Jug! I was worried it'd be too…you know…extravagant."

He hesitated, promoting Betty to twist to face him. "I was worried about that too, initially," he said carefully. "And it was extravagant but things were comfortable because well…you guys are chill."

Her face softened. "And you probably washed more dishes in a week than you'd do in a month otherwise."

"Archie helped," he said, shrugging.

Cheryl plopped down next to them with a huff and Jughead immediately withdrew his hand from Betty's thigh and placed it on the more appropriate region of her midriff.

"Are you guys discussing Archie's flight?" asked Cheryl. "I mean-" she continued without waiting for a reply "-one redhead to another, I get it. He acted in character."

"No he didn't," grumbled Jughead, his cheer evaporating fast.

Cheryl waved her hand dismissively. "Obsessive, passionate love. Torrid affairs. They make you do crazy things. They're  _exhilarating_  ."

" _Nobody_  ," laughed Veronica joining them "-literally nobody will ever believe you're not single based on the way you talk."

Cheryl leaned forward like a predator with bright red talons. "That's part of the thrill! That's why so many of the people we know are having illicit affairs! It's about the only exciting thing in their lives and the fact that it's so wrong makes it that much more seductive!"

"You sound almost hungry," remarked Betty while Veronica simply rolled her eyes good naturedly.

Cheryl sat back. "I played around in my day before settling down. But to make my point to you-" She pointed at Jughead "- there's a Sierra McCoy in our circles who's married with a daughter. She's dating the mayor, also married. They'll risk impromptu vacations together for the heck of it. For them it's  _fun_  ."

"You're saying Archie took off because it was a rush for him?" asked Jughead skeptically.

"Precisely," said Cheryl. At his dubious look, she shrugged. "I could feed you more gossip if you want to be convinced."

Jughead shook his head but Veronica sat forward with interest so Cheryl began to regale them with mostly sickening stories of risky affairs.

Jughead's mind drifted as he listened, his thoughts landing on Reggie. He was the imminent reality that hung over them like a black cloud.

_A potentially cheating black cloud._

"-Jennifer Gibson-" Cheryl was saying. "I don't know who she is but apparently she's dating this rich guy as well as another local dude and the rich guy is engaged to someone else!"

"Maneater," scoffed Veronica. "She's that musician chick right?"

Betty stiffened in Jughead's arms.

"Jug," she said slowly, " Where did Archie and Geraldine meet?"

"Uh…Archie had a classic music phase and she taught at the classes he enrolled in.  _Royale_ something classes," replied Jughead, wracking his brain. "Why?"

Betty sat up, exuding a forced calm and faced Jughead, her eyes overbright.

"Is her instrument of choice the violin by any chance?"

"…Yeah," said Jughead.  _She was on to something but where was she going with this?_

"It makes  _perfect_  sense!" breathed Betty.

"Too much suspense, B. What makes sense?" asked Veronica.

Betty grinned widely.

"When I met Geraldine early one morning, it seemed like she was sneaking out. At the time, I thought she might have a husband or another boyfriend."

" _Fuck_  ," swore Jughead under his breath, as everything fell into place for him.

Betty's eyes met his. "Reggie used to accompany his sister to these Royale whatever classes. It wasn't as posh but she liked the violinist's teaching."

"So hypothetically," continued Jughead, "The rich guy in Cheryl's story is Reggie-"

"-who is engaged to me-" said Betty.

"-and the local boy is  _Archie_  ," breathed Veronica in shock.

"So Geraldine Grundy and Jennifer Gibson are the same person?" asked Cheryl.

"I've heard Reggie's sister refer to her instructor as Miss Gibson. She's the only violinist. It's her all right," said Betty.

"Well damn," said Cheryl quietly.

Veronica laughed aloud suddenly and it was as though the magnitude of the revelation hit all of them at the same time.

Jughead rose and engulfed Betty in his arms, kissing her hard, her responding in kind.

"You're brilliant," he said against her mouth. "And you're  _free_."

"We just need to get Grundy to confess-" said Betty.

"-and that'll be proof enough," finished Jughead.

Betty practically glowed as she smiled but it dimmed a second later, just as it struck him too.

"Archie," he said. "We have to warn him."

"You won't be able to," said Cheryl from behind them. "He'll land just as we'll get in the air and we won't be able to contact him until we reach."

"Unless you leave now," said Veronica.

Betty looked between Veronica and Cheryl and some sort of understanding passed between the three girls.

"You two can leave at once. Take the jet. Cheryl and I will join you in the morning, as planned. We'll book business class tickets."

Betty went over and hugged both of them.

"You could take your time getting home too. I mean this vacation was supposed to be a getaway for just the two of you. You could finally have that without us butting in," said Jughead, trying to be helpful.

"Nonsense," purred Cheryl, slipping an arm around her girlfriend's waist. "I  _want_  to see this drama unfold."

"Thank you," said Jughead to both of them, trying to convey the depth of his sincerity.

Veronica simply smiled and then Betty was tugging at his hand, leading him back to the villa.

"Oh and guys?" called Cheryl behind him. Her eyes lingered for a second on their joined hands. "You're good for each other."

* * *

"I can't believe we found a way," said Betty for possibly the hundredth time.

" _You_  found a way," Jughead said. "Literally all I did was remember the name of the classes."

"It's an important detail," said Betty firmly.

"I hope Archie will be okay," said Jughead again.

They'd been going over the same points ever since take off, both on edge.

"You need to relax," he mused. "Both of us do."

"Any ideas? We're on a plane Jug."

"Exactly," said Jughead, raising an eyebrow.

Betty stared at him for a beat before a smirk crossed her face. "You're wild, Jones."

"Have you never done this before?" asked Jughead, unbuckling their belts and leading them to the bathroom.

"I was with Reggie before," said Betty as he swung them into the spacious washroom and pressed her up against the door.

Betty reached behind herself and locked the door. "Jerk," muttered Jughead, kissing her.

She tugged his shirt off and they unbuckled his belt together. Her tshirt flew off next and Jughead realised she'd never exchanged her bikini top for a proper bra.

"The underwear matches," whispered Betty.

Jughead groaned against her lips and squeezed her tits, his other hand yanking her jeans off.

"I'm guessing," he panted as she worked him through his boxers, "-that the Mile High Club fantasy won't exactly be getting fulfilled today."

Betty kissed him softly, a contrast to the frenzied pace of her hands. "We've done everything but have sex and as tempting as it is, I refuse for our first time to be in the bathroom of a jet."

"Second, third, fourth and fifth times then," gasped Jughead, spinning them around to face the mirror, her back against his chest.

"Someone's confident," she laughed as his hands slid into her underwear.

After that, there was no talking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> Thoughts?

**Author's Note:**

> First fic (ever), please be kind!  
> Hope this is well received!


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